April 18, 2024 Donate now

National Volunteer Week: Thank you for building a foundation for success 🏡🔨

To celebrate National Volunteer Week next week, we want to celebrate our volunteers who help us Face The Housing Crisis™ all year long.

Every week, our volunteers show up to our build sites rain or shine ready to help us construct safe, affordable homes from the ground up. They learn to use power tools, wield hammers, and perfect their paint strokes. Last year 783 people contributed more than 4,371 volunteer hours in support of our mission.

Thank you to each and every volunteer who helps us make affordable housing more accessible in Central Florida!

Why I serve: Meet HUD housing advisor Maria Muñoz

Maria meets one-on-one with Orange and Osceola residents to help them sort through their finances and get on track to reach their housing goals, whether that’s to buy a home (through Habitat or on the open market), maintain an existing home, or avoid foreclosure.

Maria, what led you to become a housing advisor?
After working with a housing advisor myself, I realized that that was the career path that I wanted to switch over to.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Conducting the First-Time Homebuyer Workshops that we hold here. We have presenters that come on out and really inspire people to take that first leap into homeownership.

Keep reading

Join us for a free hurricane prep session

May 6 in Osceola County & May 8 in Orange County

Hurricane season starts June 1. Now is the time to prepare! Register now for one of our two upcoming Hurricane Preparedness Information Sessions during National Hurricane Preparedness Week. These information sessions will cover an array of hurricane prep resources from local subject experts, including officials from Osceola County and City of Orlando's Emergency Management departments. By attending, you'll also be entered into drawings to win a disaster kit worth $250! The sessions are free but spots are limited. Please register today!

Monday, May 6, at 10 a.m. in Kissimmee >> Register
Wednesday, May 8, at 10 a.m. in Orlando >> Register

Upcoming free classes

Habitat U classes and HUD First Time Homebuyer Workshops are free and open to the public (you don't need to be a Habitat homeowner!) but space is limited, so please reserve your space today.

Many of this quarter's classes are virtual for your convenience!

Virtual Habitat U Closing Documents & Predatory Lending
Wednesday, April 24, 6 p.m.

Taller HUD para compradores de vivienda por primera vez
Friday, April 26, 9 a.m.

Virtual Habitat U Estate Planning
Wednesday, May 1, 6 p.m.

HUD First Time Homebuyer Workshop
Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m.

Looking for resources?

🏠 Homeownership Program applications are open for new construction homes just minutes from downtown Orlando. Learn more >

🤝 HUD Housing Counseling offers free 1:1 sessions with housing advisors and First-time Homebuyer Workshops to those looking to buy or preserve a home. Learn more >

🌀 Habitat Inspects Program offers free wind mitigation and 4-point inspection vouchers that could help reduce home insurance costs, and uncover home maintenance issues. Learn more >

🔨 St. Cloud Roof Replacement Program is now open in partnership with the City of St. Cloud. Learn more >

📙 Habitat U offers free classes on financial literacy, disaster preparedness, home maintenance, estate planning, and more. Learn more >

Homeownership Tips

From the experts in our Program Services and Construction departments

Is your generator ready for hurricane season? Here’s how to check

If there’s one sound of the summer season we hope to never become accustomed to, it’s the hum of generators in our neighborhoods after a hurricane. As generators are becoming a way of life for many of us to cope with the summer storm season, it’s important to remember that generators, like any equipment we own and operate, come with their own set of challenges to maintaining and operating.

As you start making your own preparations for what forecasters are promising to be a busy hurricane season, check out our tips for properly maintaining and safely using your generator.

Keep reading

Join us in honoring National Fair Housing Month

We know that a safe, affordable home is the key to stability, well-being, and intergenerational wealth. To mark National Fair Housing Month, we reflect on the impact of the 1968 Fair Housing Act and the decades-long ripple effect of inequities that continue to impact Black families to this day. We are helping to give families a hand up through new homeownership, education, HUD counseling, and home repair and inspection programs.

How we're working to Face The Housing Crisis™

Supporter Spotlight

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church for their generous grant supporting the construction of energy-efficient affordable homes! Together, we're making dreams of safe, stable housing a reality for Central Florida families.

Nominations are now open for Orlando Weekly's Best of Orlando 2024

Help us spread the word about our work to Face The Housing Crisis™!

Orlando Weekly is accepting nominations for its Best of Orlando 2024. Please consider nominating Habitat Orlando & Osceola for:

• Best Home Builder
• Best Local Charitable Group

Submit your nominations

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