Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia will use gift to address affordable housing shortage in District of Columbia and Northern Virginia
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2022) – Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia (Habitat DC-NOVA), along with Habitat for Humanity International and 83 U.S. Habitat affiliate organizations, recently received $436 million in unrestricted giving from American author
and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Of that, Habitat DC-NOVA received $3.5 million. This transformational donation will substantially further Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has equitable access to a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.
“This gift, especially combined with our recent merger, is a force multiplier that will help us achieve our ambitious goals and serve over 1,000 families by 2030,” said Susanne Slater, co-President & CEO of Habitat DC-NOVA. “Ms. Scott’s donation reaffirms our mission and the vital importance of a stable, affordable place to live. As we strategically evaluate how to best
implement this gift in our work, our goal is to maximize impact for our community and the families we serve.”
The recently merged Habitat DC-NOVA will leverage the $3.5 million donation to accelerate the impact of its affordable housing programs for families with low and moderate incomes. Specifically, the donation will be used to further Habitat DC-NOVA’s strategic priorities across
the District and Northern Virginia, including significantly increasing affordable home production, expanding home repair services throughout Northern Virginia, and building organizational capacity to serve more families, particularly Black and other families of color facing systemic
barriers to homeownership.
Nearly half of renters in the District and Northern Virginia spend more than 30 percent of their household income on housing, and rents continue to rise across the region. With this donation, Habitat DC-NOVA will be able to help more local families achieve stability and build intergenerational wealth and equity through affordable homeownership.
Habitat International will use its $25 million portion of the donation to prioritize advocacy and programmatic efforts designed to dismantle systemic racism in housing. The donation will allow Habitat to advocate for policy proposals and legislation that enable millions of people to access
affordable housing through its Cost of Home campaign; increase Black homeownership in the U.S. through a new initiative that will launch this summer; and leverage innovative capital investments that service communities of color.
“Habitat works to break down barriers and bring people together – to tear down obstacles and build a world where everyone, no matter who we are or where we come from, has a decent place to live,” said Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford. “This incredible
gift helps make that work possible.”
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About Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia
Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia (Habitat DC-NOVA) believes everyone deserves a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home. Our mission is to reduce poverty housing and homelessness by building decent, affordable, energy-efficient homes for those in need. In addition to building and selling affordable homes, Habitat DC-NOVA provides home repairs, offers financial education, and advocates for policies that create more housing for struggling families in the national capital region.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support,
volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.