At Habitat Wake, we want to commemorate all those whose strides have broken barriers over centuries and geographic locations. We also cheer on those who are carrying the torch today, and we aim to be good partners in that labor—especially when it comes to housing. 

The future of Black history relies on housing affordability

We are pleased to announce that Habitat Wake has been awarded the prestigious Builder of the Year award by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA). The HBA awarded this distinction to Habitat Wake because of the positive impact the organization has had on the association. 

The HBA shared the following remarks:  

At Habitat Wake, we have an ambitious mission to create a world in which everybody has an affordable place to live. This goal becomes increasingly difficult as the cost of housing skyrockets in Wake and Johnston counties and beyond.

The need for housing in our community is great; 1 in every 4 households lack affordable housing and we have a net loss of 900 affordable units every year.

Last Thursday, over 500 homeowners and advocates joined a public assembly in Southeast Raleigh to show support for a local property tax relief program. This event, hosted by ONE Wake, called on Raleigh City Council and Wake County Commissioners to prioritize property tax relief in next fiscal year’s budget.

It’s Spooky Season! We created a playlist to remind you of all the fun and frights of Halloweens past. Here are a few of our favorite treats from the playlist: 

Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s Monster Mash 

The sound of hammers on nails rang out on Trimble Avenue in Cary last Friday as elected officials came together to build an affordable home with Habitat Wake. Sixteen policymakers from local, state and federal office participated in the 4th annual Elected Officials Build, demonstrating their commitment to affordable housing through policy change and through their own “sweat equity.”

We thought you might need one, so we curated a playlist to help you find your way home safely! Here are a few of our favorites from the list: 

Tori Kelly’s “Bring Me Home” 

Two weeks ago, just as our Habitat Wake employees were preparing to have a celebratory in-person staff meeting for the first time in a year and a half, news of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus added new complexity. It was a massive letdown after missing the opportunity to gather safely for such a long time. We acted in each other’s best interests, pivoting to a virtual meeting, banding together and refusing to be deterred in our mission.

This week, the North Carolina House of Representatives released its version of the state budget, which includes a $20 million allocation towards Habitat for Humanity NC to fund much-needed affordable housing, along with over $260 million for additional affordable housing projects. Now that the House and Senate have both released their versions of the state budget, the two chambers will negotiate what is in the final budget through a process called reconciliation.