Our Vision

A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Our Story

No family should have to choose between having a decent roof over head and putting food on the table, or having heat in the winter, or adequate plumbing facilities.  But, as we all know, reality does not always respect what “should be.”  There is a nation-wide crisis in affordable housing and Brookings and Lake Counties are not immune.  Brookings Area Habitat for Humanity works vigorously to respond to the ongoing crisis by making decently affordable homeownership possible in our communities.

In order to provide the basics in life, many families are forced to live in unstable, unsafe, and substandard housing.  Naturally, there are threats to the health of the families who live in these untenable situations.  Prolonged instability leads to family disintegration, failing job and school performance, and a lower sense of respect.

We work to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.  Houses form only one part of our vision.  While it would be possible to build houses and give them to families in need, we have a homeownership program that allows families to empower themselves as first-time homeowners.  As the saying goes, Habitat is a “hand-up, not a handout.”  As people come together for these projects and contribute what they can, we build a stronger community.

We have been active since 1995 and our impact has been strong and sustained.  Our goal is to build at least three houses a year (in our short building season) to meet our area’s persistent need for affordable housing.  As the following pages detail, there is both reason and opportunity to involve yourself in building a brighter future for our partner families and our communities.