About Us…
The latest survey from the National Association of Home Builders, released in early 2002, ranked the Portsmouth-Rochester area as having the 10th least affordable housing in the country. The only more expensive areas were in California, with most of those around the high-tech haven of Silicon Valley.
The survey showed the average family income for this area is 56,100, compared to an average home price of 230,000. That means that just 23.4 percent of the homes in the region are affordable to families earning the median income, according to the study.
The Southeast New Hampshire Habitat for Humanity (SENH HFH) affiliate was formed in June 1990, and has a local board of directors which oversees family selection, site selection, construction work, fund-raising, family partnership, volunteer involvement and more.
Collaborative Efforts…
Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates work together with the local community, local business, volunteers, families and others in need of housing assistance.
Habitat houses are built with tax-deductible donations using volunteer and skilled labor. The collaboration of community, local business leaders, the future homeowners and volunteer/skilled labor creates a team of interests in the work of building affordable housing.
The Habitat philosophy is that we offer a hand up, not a hand out, to those who wish to become homeowner partners. Families who receive Habitat homes provide 250 hours of labor on their own home and/or subsequent projects. They are also required to repay the cost of building the home through a no-interest Habitat loan. Currently a Habitat house in the U.S. costs an average of 48,537 with a monthly mortgage of $300.
Companies that have donated time, money or resources to Habitat for Humanity include Liberty Mutual, FTD.com, Star Lumber, Wal-Mart, Paradigm Windows, Whirlpool and Collins & Aikman.