Housing Matters

Communications Manager

As part of our 35th year celebrations, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity is presenting a visual display about the organization and its history in the lobby of City Hall.

The display, titled “Housing Matters,” will be a combination of informational posters about Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, photographs spanning 35 years, and artwork by students from Boylan Catholic High School.

The Boylan art department (led by teachers Missy Minardi and Gretchen Stark) partnered with Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity to have their upper-level art students learn about the importance of affordable housing and then create an art piece in any medium portraying a positive message about housing. Students also recorded video artist statements about their piece, which Trekk turned into augmented reality videos that can be experienced as part of the display. The partnership was the result of a Youth Action Grant awarded to Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity by State Farm to engage students in amplifying their mission. The art was originally exhibited in the Boylan library, and the teachers have selected ten of the pieces to join the City Hall display.

The display will be set up in the lobby of City Hall from Monday, November 27 through Friday, December 8. Interested viewers can stop by any time during open business hours between 8:00am and 5:00pm.

LOCATION:

Rockford City Hall

425 E State Street

Rockford, IL 61104

BEYOND THE WALLS

Communications Manager

Beyond the Wall: A Special Homebuyer Spotlight

When people think of the work of Habitat for Humanity, it often conjures up images of volunteers raising walls, people in hardhats pounding nails, and families holding up keys to a new home. These early milestones are huge accomplishments, and we celebrate them accordingly! But once the dust has settled, seldom do we get the opportunity to talk about the quiet, steady work these families continue to put in over the next 20 to 30 years— the work of paying off their mortgage. Beatrice (“Bea”) bought her home from Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity in 2007. Her kids – both of whom are now adults with kids of their own – were 6 and almost 10 at the time. Now, 16 years later, Bea has become the 28th homeowner to achieve the incredible milestone of repaying her mortgage in full to Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity.

Homeownership – a paradigm shift

Many people do not realize that families like Bea’s purchase their home through a mortgage to become homeowners. Our mortgages are designed to be affordable— meaning the mortgage payment should take less than 30% of the homeowner’s monthly income— and over the life of the loan, the homeowner will never pay interest. The 28 people like Bea who have paid off their mortgage but still own their original home join the company of 16 others who have paid off their mortgage by selling their home on the open market. That means that, out of every four mortgages we have originated in the history of Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, one has been completely paid off and satisfied in full! Bea, who has worked in early childhood education since she first bought her home, says that she can still remember the first time she keyed into her new home and walked in like it was yesterday. “It was the greatest feeling of my life to open the door of something that was mine,” Bea reflects. Bea says that initially, the most important thing about her new home was that it was a safe haven for her and her kids. Over time, however, its significance has evolved.

An important wealth-building asset

RAHFH was founded 35 years ago, so we have reached an age where more and more loans come to maturity each year. This accomplishment is so significant for homeowners like Bea, because it means that what began as a safe home for their families decades ago has matured into a significant financial asset and a means to build generational wealth. Like every other homeowner in America, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity’s homeowners can put that asset to work however is best for them, whether that’s letting it appreciate or selling it to cash out their equity or passing it to their kids. The latter is precisely what Bea plans to do, saying: “I plan to leave this home to my children one day. It is something that I can pass down, and hopefully they will pass it down too.” Bea says that she is still in shock to own her home outright after a lifetime of paying monthly rent and then monthly mortgage payments, but she recognizes that this means financial freedom for her as she thinks about retiring in the next five or six years. “Owning this home changed me and my kids’ lives,” Bea says. “We went from living in poverty, in an unsafe environment, to owning this house, which we made into our home. This home provided a safe, loving environment, and we will always have it.” So we celebrate— publicly, exuberantly— on the early days when walls are raised or keys are handed over, but while it is less flashy and more private, we also celebrate with a warm sense of gratified pride on the day many years later when the last payment is made!    Congratulations to Bea, and to all of our homeowners who have reached the major milestone of owning their home mortgage-free.

Written by: Caitlyn Baylor, Special Initiatives and Grants Director 2023

Current Projects

Communications Manager

This summer, we are building four homes for new Habitat homebuyers. Our construction season has been busy, and lots of volunteer groups have been out on our build sites. In the fall, we will start two more builds in partnership with Guilford High School and East High School.