07/26/07

GENESEE VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International.  As an affiliated project we are an autonomous, nonprofit corporation with our own board of directors and committee structure.  Our affiliated project is largely self-supported from funds raised within the Southern Tier area; however all funds given through the international office designated for an affiliated project are forwarded to that affiliate.

Genesee Valley Habitat for Humanity completed its first house in 1993, a new construction located near Caneadea NY.  Since then, our project has completed three more new houses and six major renovations.  Those nine houses are located in Wellsville NY and Scio NY.  We are currently working on a new house in Belmont NY to be completed by the summer of 2005.

A HAND UP, NOT A HANDOUT.  Houses are built or renovated using as much volunteer labor and donated materials as possible.  Then employing “biblical economics,” each house is sold at no profit and no interest to a family currently living in substandard housing and unable to secure a conventional bank loan.  The cost of the house is repaid over a fixed time period; payments made are recycled to build more homes.

This is not a welfare program.  The purchasers pay a small down payment and are required to complete 200 hours of work (sweat equity) on their new home or for Habitat in some other capacity.

The cost of purchased materials, purchased services, and the fair market value of donated materials are used to determine the selling price of the home.  The value of volunteer labor is not factored into the cost of the home.