June 20, 2024                                              

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Habitat Orlando & Osceola staff and future Habitat homeowner Ambar spoke with WESH 2 reporter Gail Paschall-Brown about how future Central Florida homeowners are benefitting from our free Habitat U classes.

Habitat U is made possible by supporters like the FAIRWINDS Foundation, which is a gracious supporter of our educational programming.

"That might be learning how to save, how to budget, reduce your debt, build up your credit, protect your identity," FAIRWINDS community relations manager Adrian Kierulf-Velez said.

Central Florida’s housing crisis isn’t a problem that can be solved by one person or one organization alone. We must all work together to ensure everyone can access safe, affordable housing. And right now, thanks to a generous challenge gift from an anonymous donor, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $25,000.

Raise your hand now and help us Face The Housing Crisis™ with your much-needed donation before the end of the month.

We recently expanded our First-time Homebuyer Workshop to be presented in Spanish once a month through a grant from Orange County Government. The next workshop is Saturday, June 22, and will cover essential topics including credit, down payment assistance programs, property titles, working with real estate agents and homeowners insurance.

Roughly 30% of the Hispanic or Latino population in Central Florida speaks English less than very well. And while homeownership rates for minority populations across America have made steady gains in recent years, a large homeownership gap persists. In Central Florida, 53% of the Hispanic or Latino population own their home, compared to 71% of the white, non-Hispanic or Latino population.  

“Language should not prevent someone from reaching their homeownership goals. We hope this service will help close the gap in our community’s Hispanic and Latino homeownership rates and provide resources and education to keep families in their affordable homes," Habitat Orlando & Osceola President and CEO Catherine Steck McManus said.

Financial Literacy: Credit (virtual)
Wednesday, June 26, 6 p.m.
Learn the importance of credit and the basics of loans and interest rates.

Closing Docs & Predatory Lending
Wednesday, July 17, 6 p.m.
Learn what to expect at closing and how to avoid predatory lending scams.

Foreclosure Prevention & Understanding Escrow Accounts
Wednesday, July 24, 6 p.m.
Learn about escrow accounts, mortgage payments, loss mitigation and more.

Taller para compradores de vivienda por primera vez (8 horas)
Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m.
Habitat Orlando & Osceola HQ

Taller para compradores de vivienda por primera vez (8 horas)
Tuesday, July 9, 9 a.m.
Hosted virtually

First-time Homebuyer Workshop
Saturday, July 19, 9 a.m.
Whole Life Church

Given the busy storm season anticipated this year, compounded with increasing costs and demands from home insurance providers, keeping your roof in good shape is essential to protecting your home, property, and family.  

Checking your roof’s condition at least twice per year, and preferably after a significant weather event (i.e. hurricane), will help you keep on top of any simple maintenance and repairs that can prevent costly damage to your home later. Look for the key items below during your inspection:

1.    Check for debris on your roof (leaves, branches, moss) as this can accumulate on the roof and prevent proper drainage, eventually leading to leaks.  
2.    Blistered, curled, or split shingles need to be secured or replaced, along with any loose or missing shingles.  Also look for dark patches on the roof that may indicate the protective granular coating has worn away from those shingles.

Coming off of Father's Day weekend, we wanted to spotlight one of our new homeowners, Jonwan. He and his wife recently closed on their brand new, affordable Habitat home for themselves and their four daughters. 🏡

“This Father’s Day is extremely special to me because I get to spend it in my first home with my family," Jonwan said. "God has been blessing me left and right, from allowing my family and I to be homeowners, to allowing us to wake up everyday. I’m grateful for the opportunities and helping hands that Habitat Orlando & Osceola have provided for my family and I, because without them I wouldn’t be able to enjoy waking up to my wife and children everyday in our new home.”

It's time to vote! 🗳️ We're so grateful to have been nominated for two categories in Orlando Weekly's Best of Orlando Reader's Choice Poll. Between now and July 15, you can vote for us once per day for:

• Best Charitable Group (under Local Notables)
• Best Homebuilder (under Services)

Have you seen our recap Reel of this year's Homes Fore All golf tournament? You can watch it above. ⛳

And we want to make sure you don't miss out on any of the fun next year! Mark your calendar NOW for next year's tournament: May 2, 2025. We'll tee off once again at Shingle Creek Golf Club to raise funds to help us Face The Housing Crisis™.

For the fourth year in a row, we recently earned a Candid (formerly GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency! Candid is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations, and the platinum rating is its highest level of recognition.

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

🤝 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 >

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