ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity is expanding its services after being named a Department of Housing and Urban Development-certified agency.
News10NBC’s Kristi Blake spoke with Greater Rochester Habitat CEO Kim Brumber about the organization’s work in Monroe, Wayne and Ontario counties. Habitat offers homebuyer education courses and one-on-one housing counseling.
Habitat for Humanity Help
“We do a number of things. Most people know us for building homes. We do roughly 15 to 20. We also do 1,200 people over a lifetime. So, teaching them how to buy a home and also educating them about financial literacy,” Brumber said.
The organization offers two paths for potential homeowners. One is a fast-track online virtual homeownership course for those who are mostly ready to buy. The other is an 18-month program that starts from scratch, pairing participants with a mentor who guides them through building credit and saving money.
Becoming a Homeowner
Tiffanie Preston is one of those people who went through the Habitat for Humanity to become a homeowner. She was initially denied because of her credit and had to complete a homework-bound program to fix it.
Preston said she was determined to focus on what she needed to do. Once she fixed her credit six months later, she reapplied and got approved. Her biggest reason for wanting to become a homeowner was her kids.
“I wanted to be able to leave something for them that we didn’t bounce around from like house to house. But I wanted stability and I wanted a structure for them, and I wanted to show them that even at my older age, you still can accomplish things if you stay focused,” Preston said.
She needed hundreds of volunteer hours and attended multiple financial literacy, credit and home maintenance classes. She also had to prove she had stable employment.
Preston had a home within 14 months, closing in May of this year. She said the feeling of owning her home is indescribable.
“This is mine. This is my kids. Like, we don’t have to worry about, you know, a landlord or, you know, I’ve always take pride in where I live, but it’s just like an extra, like a little more, when you know that, like, my name is on it,” Preston said.
Preston said she can’t wait to fully decorate and for her grass to grow. She’s excited to plant flowers and work on the house day by day.
Handing over the Keys
Brumber said witnessing families receive their keys remains emotional even after more than 20 years in the field.
“I have the honor in my role when dedicating these homes. And I’ve done this stuff for over 20 years and still today, everyone I get tripped up by, you know, it’s hard to get to it because I know what that’s going to mean for that family,” Brumber said. “It’s gonna mean better health, stable financials, better education for those with kids.”
Homeownership creates generational impact, making it more likely that children of homeowners will eventually buy homes themselves, Brumber said.
Volunteerism
Now that Preston has her keys, she’s hoping to help other homeowner hopefuls. Volunteerism is a big part of Habitat for Humanity, with each house taking about 700 to 1,000 hours to build through volunteers.
The organization primarily serves people between 30 and 50 years old, often single mothers with children. The repair program also frequently helps seniors.
Over the past 40 years, Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity has built, rehabilitated or repaired more than 600 homes and helped 1,700 people.
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