MAR 26, 2014
The mission of Habitat for Humanity is to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We are committed to generating sustainable, lasting development; we view our work as successful when it transforms lives and promotes positive social, economic, and spiritual change within our communities. To what end has this mission been accomplished by DC Habitat?
For the past two years, we have been gathering data in order to answer that question. Our longitudinal study, in collaboration with Success Measures and NeighborWorks America, will provide us with a greater understanding of the progress we’re making in the District, and measure the impacts we have on our homeowners, neighborhoods, and communities. Through surveys, interviews, and observations, we’ve collected data on homeowner satisfaction, education, health, and more. Ultimately, we seek to measure the positive effects of homeownership in low-income communities through quantitative measurements and data analysis.
Although we’re only in the first few years of our survey project, the information we’ve gathered thus far is encouraging. Our homeowners report satisfaction with their home, a more stable family environment, and gains in health and education. We’re excited to continue this survey over the next few years and to measure the impacts that DC Habitat has on our communities in DC over time. Below, we’ve highlighted some of our findings from this year’s survey data.
