Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, eight rural lower-income families are about to receive keys to their own newly built homes. This year’s Habitat builds are taking place in Morden, Brandon, Dauphin, and Portage la Prairie.
Nearly 500 Habitat homes have been built in Manitoba since 1998. Eighty of them are located in rural communities. In the southeast, new Habitat homeowners have settled in Steinbach, Mitchell, Blumenort, La Broquerie, Richer, Grunthal, and Landmark.
According to Steve Krahn, Habitat Manitoba’s senior vice president, 2022 was a year unmatched by any other.
“We are extremely proud that the [Habitat] network started more homes in 2022 than in any other year in our history and also had an exceptional fundraising year,” says Krahn.
Last year, Habitat Manitoba was the beneficiary of $4.1 million in cash contributions and grants. Because of this, a record-breaking 16 families were ushered into new homes at key ceremonies held around the province.
“Key ceremonies are an incredible way for families, volunteers, donors, and staff to experience all the hard work that brought them here,” Krahn adds.
Since 2019, the federal government has contributed more than $7.5 million to Habitat Manitoba. Ahmed Hussen, the federal Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, was at this year’s Morden key ceremony to help celebrate.
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home,” Hussen said. “This is why the government of Canada is helping families achieve the dream of homeownership in Manitoba through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. Thanks to this investment and partnership with Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, deserving families here in Morden and across the province will realize their dream of owning a home—homes they can proudly call their own—and I hope they find great happiness in them.”
This year, Habitat Manitoba is also launching a 55-unit urban housing development on Pandora Avenue in Winnipeg. The five townhouses, taking up three acres of land, will be the largest Habitat development of its kind in the history of the organization.
With a proposed completion date of 2025, the project will house approximately 275 people, with potential for more than 60 percent of those to be children. Exceptional energy efficiency is one of the key factors in these units, creating a net-zero carbon footprint when completed.
Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has grown to have chapters in more than 70 countries around the globe. The first Manitoba Habitat home was built in Winkler in 1985. Two years later, Winnipeg became home to the first Habitat chapter in all of Canada.
What drives Habitat for Humanity is their belief that everyone deserves a safe, decent, and affordable place to live.
The organization’s model of partnership housing is a unique one. Drawing support and volunteerism from the community in which a Habitat home is being built helps to ensure the family’s long-term success.
Becoming a Habitat homeowner is an involved process requiring hard work, time, and commitment.
“Habitat selects future homeowners by assessing their need, ability to pay a mortgage, and their willingness to partner with Habitat,” says Krahn.
Essentially, Habitat provides affordable home ownership solutions to lower income working families who don’t qualify for conventional mortgages. Through Habitat, qualifying applicants receive a renewable interest-free 15-year mortgage plan requiring no downpayment.
In return, they are expected to contribute at least 500 hours of sweat equity into the build of their home or at one of the Habitat ReStore locations. They are also required to attend financial education workshops to help prepare them for the many facets of home ownership.
“As soon as a family starts to pay off their mortgage, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba puts those dollars to work helping build the next home for the next family,” the Habitat website states. “As families pay off their mortgages, these dollars are reinvested and used by Habitat for Humanity Manitoba to build more homes for working, lower income families in our community. We keep our build costs low through volunteer labour and, as much as possible, donated or reduced-cost building materials and services.”
Habitat Manitoba runs a variety of fundraisers throughout the year to keep the momentum going. This summer, three cycling events will take place around the province. An annual golf tournament is scheduled for Starbuck in September and the House Party gala will close off the year’s fundraising at Club Regent in November.
