Brown County Habitat for Humanity will soon have an executive director, thanks to a $100,000 federal grant.
The local nonprofit was one of 14 organizations in the nation to receive part of the $1.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The funding will be awarded under HUD’s Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Program.
The grant will fund the full-time position over a two year period and requires a 3:1 match from Brown County Habitat. The organization now needs to raise $300,000 from July 2022 to July 2024.
“The monies will help to rebuild and revitalize neighborhoods and improve the lives of residents by creating affordable housing opportunities through community development,” a press release from Habitat states.
Brown County Habitat is expected to increase their house production by at least one housing unit over the next two years.
An additional $5,000 was also received for the training of the executive director that will be hired to oversee the new executive director.
There is not currently a person in line for the position and the role will be advertised in the near future, said Andrea Replogle, president of Brown County Habitat for Humanity.
Since its creation in 1990 as a nonprofit, Brown County Habitat for Humanity and partner families, along with volunteers and donors, have successfully built safe, affordable and efficient homes in Brown County.
“Seeking to put God’s love into action, Brown County Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. Their vision is a community where everyone has a decent place to live,” the release states.
Habitat homes are not free to partners for whom homes are chosen. Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, homes are sold to the selected Habitat partner family and financed with affordable loans from the organization.
As the homeowners pays back their mortgage, those funds are reinvested into operations to offer future families an opportunity for home ownership. Adult members of the family must also contribute or ensure the delivery of 250 hours of “sweat equity” for the actual construction of their home.
Those who qualify for the Habitat program do so based on three criteria: need for housing, ability to pay and willingness to partner.
Brown County Habitat for Humanity relies on gifts from individuals, corporations and other groups to help families in need of decent and affordable homes within Brown County.
The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors and welcomes new members to assist in guiding the agency forward by serving on committees, the board or building a home.
For more than 30 years, Brown County Habitat has built 21 houses and completed dozens of critical home repairs with only volunteers and a part time program administrator, the press release states.
Habitat used to be able to build homes for under $100,000, but it’s hard to do the same work for $200,000, Replogle said. Construction costs are one of the many areas of the economy that have been affected due to inflation.
“To make the mortgage affordable, that’s why we all need to pitch in,” Replogle said. “Everything just went through the roof. It’s a difficult time.”
The HUD grant will allow for the hiring a full-time executive director to “grow (the) organization and better serve (the) community and partner families,” the release states.
“Affordable and attainable housing is one of our greatest needs in Brown County and Habitat is eager to collaborate with others who share our concerns for the families of Brown County.”
Only the beginning
Replogle was elected president July last year. She lived in Muncie much of her life where she was active in the Greater Muncie Area Habitat for Humanity. She served as volunteer coordinator and was instrumental in the success of several Women Builds in Muncie.
She said the beauty of Brown County Habitat’s situation is they have an “amazing” grant writer in Brown County Habitat Treasurer Sue Lindborg who wrote the HUD grant.
Habitat was also awarded the second place prize of $5,500 from the Fab 50 this year. That money was going to use some of that award money to cover extra costs of building a new home. Another portion of the money was going to be used in their “Brush with Kindness” program, which assists low-income individuals and families by providing small structural repairs and access ramps for their homes.
Habitat also applied for a grant from the Brown County Community Foundation and are “working diligently” on a home grant which will help specifically with builds, Replogle said.
The 2021 partner family — a family of eight living in a one-bedroom house — has been picked and will be formally announced this summer.
The home will be built in the late summer and early fall this year next to the home that was built in 2020.
Replogle said making the “big jump” into grants requires a reporting element, which is why the executive director position is key to Brown County Habitat’s operations, with a requirement to increase production after filling the position.
“Habitat has been an important partner and we desire to be significant partner in the housing issues in Brown County,” Replogle said. “Staffing is key in that. It allows us to step into bigger grants in funds, develop relationships with other community organizations just as passionate about housing.”
“We’re not the answer, we’re just part of it, we need to partner with others.”
Replogle said Habitat would like to be in the center of pushing forward on the development of housing stock in Brown County.
“Even beyond that, we all know it’s bigger than housing. It’s also about the schools losing enrollment, it’s about jobs, it’s about many things. We want to be a leader in the conversation and the actual change of the landscape. Whether it’s housing, Brush with Kindness, there’s a substantial amount of money for helping accessibility issues. Money is there, we just need person who is consistently pursuing it,” she said.
Lindborg is someone who is a great example of someone who raised kids in Brown County, moved away, then later returned, Replogle said.
Upon return to Brown County, Replogle said community conversations and action about housing had not changed in Lindborg’s time away and so she said “Let’s do something now.”
“She comes with wealth of nonprofit experience,” Replogle said. “There’s others like that in the community who are unaware of how much we need their abilities and their voice.”
“We have strong board and strong commitment and great legacy to go forward and change the landscape. Time to stop talking and start doing.”
Brown County Habitat desires to tackle the county housing issue through holistic approach, meaning working together as a local community and looking within Brown County meet the peoples’ needs, Replogle said.
“We want to lead the charge in housing,” Replogle said. “We can do it, I really believe that. I’m dedicating my own time as a volunteer not just because I believe in Habitat but because I believe in people of Brown County.”
Replogle is confident in their ability to do accomplish that goal.
“This is the beginning.”
