2021
FY21 Annual Report
Beyond the Walls
LETTER FROM THE CEO
In FY21, San Diego Habitat, like so many others, continued to find itself operating under the strain and uncertainty of COVID-19. Our mission, however, remains as relevant and urgent as ever. As the prolonged effects of this pandemic continue to play out, we are reminded that too many people do not have a safe, affordable home in which to weather the storm. We must remain diligent in our efforts to create more opportunity for homeownership — as a means of producing generational financial stability, and to close the racial wealth gap that is prevalent in our community.
As the newest member of the San Diego Habitat team, I am proud of all that was accomplished this year and grateful for your generosity and support. I am looking forward to diving in and upholding the great work that continues to transpire on behalf of local families.
There are exciting things ahead as we break ground on several new projects, continue to repair homes, and persevere beyond the challenges we face on behalf of the people we are blessed to serve. We keep them at the forefront of our minds as we find new, creative ways to keep building up our community. As we face obstacles — limited volunteers on site, soaring lumber prices, a labor shortage — we find new ways to innovate so that we can serve more families and create impact beyond the walls of the homes we build.
Beyond Homeownership
Homeownership is a great deal more than purchasing a home. It’s a pathway to better educational, safety, and health outcomes for individuals and families. It is a vehicle for long-term, generational security and racial equity.
And homeownership can take our entire community beyond the status quo with more involved residents and a renewed sense of neighborhood pride.
I wanted to live [in Logan Heights] because a lot of my family lives in the area, but I never found the right home or the down payment was way too much, and it was impossible, so this is a dream come true actually. My parents are just two blocks away.
Thank you for supporting the ongoing work of ensuring everyone has a safe, lovely place to call home. Our family is now able to live comfortably knowing we have a house that can accommodate all of us.
We are filled with joy and gratitude of owning our home. Because of your consistent support, we are part of a community and neighborhood where we can, and will, make a difference.
LUIS, ANGELICA, DANIELLA, VICTORIA, + ISABELLA
LOGAN HEIGHTS
Beyond Repairs
Neighborhood Revitalization keeps people safe and healthy in their homes.
Habitat provides home preservation and repair services, and these activities cause a domino effect that extends well beyond new roofs and drought-tolerant landscaping.
Through Neighborhood Revitalization, we become part of a neighborhood fabric and create positive change in entire communities.
In FY21, we focused our NR efforts in National City, seeing tangible improvements to the quality of life for existing homeowners. Looking forward, we are proud to be working in the San Diego Promise Zone.
Also living in healthier, safer conditions are the veterans we were able to serve this year.
10
total projects
19
people served
9
veterans served
Beyond Service
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Habitat. Their hearts and hands keep us building. And this year, they went above and beyond. Our hardworking Regulars — recurring volunteers who contribute eight or more hours per month — took Habitat’s progress far beyond what we would have been able to accomplish with the continued limitations of general volunteers on our build sites.
807
volunteers
2,559
shifts
12,715
hours contributed
$362,886
financial donation equivalent based on the 2021 estimated value at $28.54/hour source
Beyond the Savings
The ReStore is a treasure trove of discount finds for homeowners, property owners, DIYers, artists, designers, and crafters alike, but it also has a big mission — to help Habitat build and repair homes as we work to create better life stories for local families. Our loyal donors and Treasure Hunters are critical in the work that we do beyond the ReStore.
32,397
transactions
$1,625,287
annual donations
top-selling items:
3,871
donations
26,532
miles driven by donation trucks
1,060
tonnage diverted from local landfills
126
volunteers
871
volunteer shifts
3,139
hours contributed
32,397
transactions
$1,625,287
annual donations
top-selling items:
3,871
donations
26,532
miles driven by donation trucks
1,060
tonnage diverted from local landfills
126
volunteers
871
volunteer shifts
3,139
hours contributed
Beyond the Build
Advocacy efforts are key in allowing Habitat to continue to build faster and more affordably.
This year, we worked with our Habitat colleagues across the state to call on our elected leaders to create policy changes focused on homeownership for lower-income households, and on closing the gap in homeownership rates across race and ethnicity.
Policy priorities:
advancing homeownership for lower-income households
closing the gap in homeownership rates across race and ethnicity
Lesotho
Beyond Borders
Meet Mamolelekeng, whose family is a beneficiary of Habitat Lesotho’s vulnerable group program, which aims to assist the country’s more than 300,000 orphans.
As we carry out our mission here in San Diego, we must remember that there are so many families across the globe lacking safe, stable housing. That’s where our international tithe comes in. San Diego Habitat donates a portion of our unrestricted income to help international families who desperately need us. It’s the Habitat way, and this year, we continued to support families in the small, landlocked African Kingdom of Lesotho, where close to 70% of the population lives in poverty.
Our tithe helped Habitat for Humanity Lesotho COVID-19 recovery efforts and also helped build two-room houses, ventilated latrines, and provided energy saving stoves to orphans and vulnerable groups. It also supported a livelihoods project for brick-making at the community level.
$3,700
tithed
1
home built in Lesotho
Financials
79%
of income spent on programs
21%
of income spent on administration and fundraising
San Diego faced an affordable housing crisis before COVID-19, which only continues to worsen. Low wage workers are facing the most economic uncertainty, exacerbated by the end of eviction moratoriums.
Habitat’s model is essential to continue creating affordable homeownership in San Diego and must continue to build and repair homes, even as we face the challenges of increased building expenses, a decline in donations, and unpredictable ReStore sales.
We were grateful to take advantage of financial relief offered through loans and grants that kept us building and most of our staff employed.
Thank you to our supporters for helping build strong communities and brighter futures right here in San Diego County.