Twenty seven came to this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome members of the Habitat for Humanity (https://www.habitatvictoria.com/) team, Executive Director Carmen Rempel and HR/Family Services Manager Tiffany Gates. There was a sense of anticipation among the group, all curious to learn about opportunities for a Habitat for Humanity project on Salt Spring. Adding to this air of excitement was the appreciation of a homecoming as Carmen had grown up on Salt Spring and many in the room shared decades old memories with her. 

After our Land Acknowledgement and a chance for all to introduce themselves, our guests shared their excitement and delight at being with us, with Tiffany sharing her delight to be here to spread the word of the important work Habitat for Humanity does helping folks and building communities. Carmen expressed her delight at being back on Salt Spring (it had been 10 years!), sharing a few happy memories with those in the room and recalling that she had taken Home Economics in the room in which we were gathered. 

Having spent her career addressing housing issues, Carmen’s role with Habitat for Humanity is a perfect fit as it seeks to provide safe, decent, and affordable homeownership for working families. On her drive from Fulford to meet us, she noted the transformation of the SeaBreeze Inne into homes for healthcare workers. She also noted the juxtaposition of beautiful homes and substandard abodes.

Noting that many think of Habitat for Humanity as a group of volunteers journeying to distant places like Kenya to build homes for locals, Victoria Habitat for Humanity communities are quite different, most ranging from simple basic single family homes to duplexes, four-plexes, and, in some cases, as many a 10 units of strata-owned homes.

These communities of safe, decent, and affordable homes also offer a wide variety of social and financial benefits transforming owners of Habitat for Humanity homes , including:

• 73% report improved physical health,
• 79%report improved mental health,
• 41% of the adults resume their education,
• 44% of the adults report improved employment,
• 51% of the adults report improved family security,
• 50% of the children are doing better in school, and 
• 50% of the adults take part in more community events as well as volunteering more. 

With a reach far beyond individual families, Habitat for Humanity homeowners also contribute to the financial and wellbeing of their community.

Across Canada, Habitat for Humanity injects $35 million into the economy each year, building and rehabilitating $311 million worth of homes and generating nearly $40 million in tax revenues. 

A participant asked about required qualifications for Habitat for Humanity homeowners. Aimed at homeownership for the “Missing Middle” of our workforce, we learned that candidates are first time homeowners who are not required to make a down payment. They must qualify for two bank loans, a small loan with a bank and a larger portion of the loan held by Habitat for Humanity. Household income is important. Habitat for Humanity’s goal is that the mortgage is only 30% of this income, leaving 70% for other needs. 

Homeowners must also contribute 500 hours of community service within two yers of moving into their homes. These volunteer hours are adapted to suit unique family needs and can differ widely. Some volunteer onsite doing the simpler homebuilding tasks like installing hardware or siding. Others support local nonprofits with community service hours. 

To combat market forces driving up housing prices, if a family decides to move out of a Habitat for Humanity home, they must sell it back, receiving 2% of the value for every year they occupied the home. With this system, Habitat for Humanity homeowners move gradually up the housing ladder with some cash while Habitat for Humanity homes remain affordable. 

The bottom line works, and Habitat for Humanity continues to build community after community of safe, decent, affordable homes. How can this organization build these communities when local nonprofits and developers struggle to create affordable housing? There are a number of factors that help them to succeed when other groups struggle: 

1. Homes are very basic, built to create safe, green, comfortable homes without expensive additions.
2. It is blessed with an immense Canada-wide supply chain of discounted and donated materials, significantly lowering costs.
3. A rich portfolio of free Habitat for Humanity home designs are also available.
4. A well-known and trusted charity, it has developed an enormous array of partners ranging from banks, tradespeople, suppliers, and local governments, all partnering to create these communities.
5. Carmen has been blown away by the generosity of individuals who are awed by its mission and success, willing to give generously, both in cash and as bequests. 

Habitat for Humanity does not have millions set aside and earmarked for Salt Spring. While the Habitat for Humanity team left our ASK Salt Spring time energized and excited about the possibilities, there is much to do to bring a Habitat for Humanity community to Salt Spring. Each potential project is assessed for the financial realities in a given community, availability of land, need, and, often most importantly, community support. Want to stay informed, volunteer? Reach out: https://www.habitatvictoria.com/. 

Will Salt Spring rank highly enough to even be considered? The good news is that Carmen and her team are looking very closely with interest at the Gulf Islands with hope that a community on one of our islands will be among Habitat for Humanity’s next projects. So, what is needed?

1. Available affordable serviced land offering transportation links, parking, and the desired “gentle density.” 
2. Creative community partners willing to collaborate by offering the support and finances needed to make it happen.
3. Regulatory requirements that can be navigated without unreasonable delays.
4. Community support, including donations (https://www.habitatvictoria.com/howtodonate) and potentially even community bonds targeted at a specific Salt Spring project.  

While the list of requirements for a Habitat for Humanity community may seem daunting to some, this group tossed out an impressive list of available land, each envisioning a Habitat for Humanity community there, either as a cluster of detached small homes, 2- or 4-plexes, or even a multi-family strata building. Some wondered about the centrally-located project halted by bankruptcy. What about the newly-acquired (!!!) Norton Road property (https://iwav.org/norton-road/)? Kings Lane? Community Services Brinkworthy property near the new firehall? Drake Road property next to the supportive housing? Former Phoenix School property? Lions’ land behind the hall? One of the Country Grocer properties? The Ganges Firehall? And, the list went on. . . . 

As our time together was drawing to a close, we learned about another project that has recently been successfully piloted. Could Habitat for Humanity also help folks stay in their homes when trouble strikes by offering free renovations? This possibility was explored with two recent small projects: 

1. The home of four senior women living together was flooded. None of the residents had enough to pay to fix the damage, all spending the limits of their retirement incomes on the mortgage. As it looked like they may have to relocate, likely seeking rental accommodations, Habitat for Humanity sprang to action. The team lined up tradespeople who contributed time, local suppliers who provided needed materials, and even some volunteers. A mere $7,000 later, the damage was fixed and these four seniors could again occupy their home, now safe and dry. 
2. The home of a single mother also flooded, leaving the home uninhabitable and no money for repairs. Again calling upon generous Habitat for Humanity supporters, this damage was fixed for $1,500, and the family was again securely housed. 

When Carmen asked if a free program making owned homes livable again could help Salt Springers, the response was predictably positive, leading some to lament the preponderance of substandard homes here. 

With so many enticing options, the logical next step seems to be to introduce Carmen and her team to the many local nonprofits and government organizations with the land and resources. Supplied with a long list of over 20 enthusiastic contacts, Carmen and Tiffany expressed their deep appreciation for our warm welcome as well as for the plethoras of great ideas. They promised to continue this conversation, hopefully assessing the many possibilities available and identifying a Habitat for Humanity project for Salt Spring. 

We left excited and optimistic that this idea-filled conversation with Habitat for Humanity could result in tangible progress addressing our worker housing crisis. We left awed by Carmen and Tiffany’s enthusiasm, their creative consideration of a wide variety of options, and their clearly expressed hope that Salt Spring can successfully create a Habitat for Humanity community. (Thank-you, Carmen and Tiffany, do come back soon!) 

Just in case you are interested. . . .This report has been written by Gayle Baker, founder of ASK Salt Spring, currently also a Salt Spring Local Community Commissioner. It has been reviewed by Carmen.