Our mission is to build decent, affordable homes and provide home ownership opportunities to qualified families who live and work in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Monterey County ranked 4th in the nation as the least affordable rental market in the recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. As an extremely unaffordable place to live, renters often spend 50% or more of their income on housing costs. With Habitat for Humanity’s model, homeowner families never spend more than 30% of income on housing costs, thereby stabilizing their resources, and providing a strong base to build from.
Over the next few years, we aim to increase capacity to develop multi-home projects, bringing stability, strength, and self-reliance to more Monterey County families. Habitat homes remain affordable forever even if the original homeowner leaves, therefore permanently transforming the local community into one with more affordable homes to own. We are in conversations in Marina for a project that would bring at least nine affordable homes for ownership in phase one, adding additional affordable homes each year after.
My biggest fear had always been having to move out of the area, away from Brian’s doctors, caregivers, and support network. Getting our Habitat home meant never having to make that difficult decision. It has brought such incredible peace of mind and a sense of security.
- Veronica Hart
