We Envision A World Where Everyone
Has a Decent Place to Live.

No matter who we are or where we come from, everyone wants a decent life. Everyone wants to feel strength and stability day after day. We want to know we have the power to take care of ourselves and build our own futures.

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At West Orange Habitat for Humanity, this is what unites us. Through shelter, we empower. Our shared vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Because you, me, we — we’re all human. And every single one of us deserves the opportunity for a better future.

How We Make Decent Housing Affordable

We offer a hand up for families in need of decent, well built, affordable homes. Our homeowner partners are offered an opportunity to escape substandard (and often unhealthy) living conditions and own (and build equity in) a home in which they find great pride, call their own, and connect deeply.  The transition from substandard living conditions to homeownership is truly transformational for these families, and these positive impacts ripple down to future generations.

 

West Orange Habitat designs and constructs its homes in a cost-effective manner and utilizes volunteer labor and market-discounted or donated materials whenever possible. Homeowner families also are required to work diligently and commit between 200 and 400 hours of "sweat equity" in the construction of their home (and/or their neighbors' homes). They also participate in classroom instruction covering a multitude of important topics such as budgeting, financial management, debt reduction strategies, and essential aspects of home maintenance. Upon successful completion of the process, our homeowner families receive titles to their homes at a price discounted to market and with an interest-free mortgage that is structured to keep their monthly payments affordable.