Supported Like a Family

From the moment future homebuyers apply to the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity program they are introduced to Family Services. This team is responsible for ensuring families are supported throughout their entire homeownership journey.

The homeownership program is open to anyone and everyone that has a need for affordable housing. Anyone interested must first attend an information session. After attending the session and learning what it takes to become an Atlanta Habitat homeowner, protentional homebuyers meet with the Family Services team.  

“In those initial conversations, we’re just getting to know a little bit more about their backgrounds, such as their work history. Do they have a steady income, looking at their credit and savings,” Dorothy, Family Services Outreach and Program Manager explained.

“If they’re not ready or they don’t qualify at this time. We look at the action steps that they could take to qualify in the future,” Dorothy said.

This could be referring them to other programs outside of Atlanta Habitat or connecting them to resources we have available in-house like My Money, My Future.

After the application is submitted, two members of the volunteer-run Family Selection Committee schedule a home visit and interview. Finally, once approved, the homebuyers’ educational courses can begin.

During the application process, Family Services is around to answer any questions homebuyers might have. After they are accepted, the team begins their work to ensure each program participant is the most successful they can be.

It all starts with Education

All Atlanta Habitat homebuyers must complete 250 sweat equity hours. These hours are a combination of volunteer work, homeowner classes and the actual building of their homes.  

Shifting into being your own property owner comes with a list of often unforeseen obstacles. To ease the transition, Family Services has put together a series of classes to teach the essentials, starting with orientation.  

“We have classes in the areas of personal finance, community stewardship and home maintenance, Paola, Family Services Learning Facilitator, explained. “Every single homeowner takes them before they own their habitat house because we think this is the foundational information.”

Homebuyers can also take elective classes taught entirely by volunteers in several areas to support homebuyers beyond their build.  

“Maybe you want to learn about investing. Maybe you want to learn about entrepreneurship or how to maintain your porch and deck or how to permit for a fence,” said Paola. “Any number of things that we think OK, this could also help, right? And we try to include those in our elective classes.”

Home Repair and Aging in Place

One of the most asked questions in Family Services seems to be: How do we serve more families? Building homes has long been a function of the organization but more recently, repairing and refreshing homes has been added.  

The Repair with Kindness program helps qualified homeowners by repairing homes to make them safe, dry, and accessible. While Brush with Kindness helps homeowners with a fresh coat of paint and light repairs for their homes.  

“We were looking for ways to keep these homeowners in their home when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to so critical repairs affecting their health, their safety, their accessibility, or the weatherization of the home.,” said Stefanie, Home Repair and Aging in Place program manager, said.  

Primarily, the homes selected for this program are owned by Seniors and Veterans and are in places where Habitat is already building in effort to “work on the entire neighborhood at once and help everybody at the same.”

The Family Services team is always on the lookout for more ways to better serve more families.  

“If there is a gap like, I don’t think people should be afraid to bring up additional needs to us because we will try to fill it,” Stefanie said.