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Habitat for Humanity
  • What We Do
      • Homeownership
      • Build and Rehab Homes
      • Veterans Program
      • Neighborhood Engagement
      • We Believe in You

        Start building your dream

  • ReStore
      • About ReStore
      • Locations & Hours
      • Remodeling?
      • ReBuild, ReNew, ReStore

        Less waste, more long-term housing

  • About
      • About Habitat Kent
      • History
      • Team & Board Members
      • Work At Habitat
      • Resources
      • Find out more

        Building homes, growing communities

  • Connect
      • Blog
      • Events
      • Contact Us
      • We’re Here To Help

        Hammering down problems, nailing down solutions

  • Donate
    • Donate Now
    • Monthly Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Donate Household Items
    • Cars for Homes
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Women of Habitat Kent
  • Menu Menu
      • Partnership
      • Neighborhood Revitalization
      • Sustainable Model

      Long-Term Partnership.

      We begin by partnering with low-income families who work hard to develop the skills needed to be successful homeowners. If a family applies for a home and is declined, we help them develop a plan to overcome their obstacles and earn approval on a future application.

      Before buying their home with an interest-free mortgage, homebuyer families contribute 300-500 sweat equity hours by assisting with construction and learning home maintenance and financial management skills.

      When a family moves into their home, we don’t walk away. We encourage long-term relationships with homebuyers, walking alongside them all the way through their last mortgage payment. This is essential as we empower homebuyers to create a better life for themselves and their families.

      This is what unites us.”

      Impacting families, neighbors and communities
      neighborhood revitalization.

      Family Impact

      Before settling into their home, a typical Habitat family moves every 1-2 years. Moving is hard. Kids have to adjust to a new school and make new friends. Parents wonder how long they can stay before the apartment affects their health or the landlord raises rent. Worries like this make it difficult to think about anything else.

      A safe and affordable home puts an end to these worries. A stable home allows its residents to focus on the future. Health and family relationships improve. Employment stabilizes. Families save money, invest in their neighborhood, strengthen local schools and broaden the city’s tax base.

      Neighborhood Impact

      We’re working on multiple homes on the same street to create a more significant neighborhood impact. When neighbors see new homes constructed or older homes renovated, they’re reinvigorated by the neighborhood’s new life. This becomes evident when we see a neighbor repairing his front door, which leads to his neighbor painting his house and another neighbor landscaping her yard. The entire neighborhood prospers.

      Community Impact

      The benefits of neighborhood revitalization spread throughout our community. By bringing homeowners into a neighborhood, vacant housing decreases and property values increase.

      As a result, the city receives more taxes that will help improve local schools and transit. This is the beginning of neighbors working together to create a better community for themselves and future generations.

      Habitat works with many organizations to plan, advocate and share resources for the purpose of creating and protecting healthy and interactive neighborhoods. We’ve been working with the City of Grand Rapids to identify areas where Habitat’s revitalization efforts are needed most. That’s why we’ve begun targeting neighborhoods on the West Side of Grand Rapids.ksA campaign to restore West Michigan neighborhoods

      Our Sustainable Model…

      68%

      of families report an increase in their income

      What we do today impacts our future. As stewards of God’s earth, we are committed to making a social, economic and environmental difference in everything we do.

      35%

      of Grand Rapids children live in poverty; of those, 79% live in substandard housing

      25%

      of families report better grades in school for their children

      58%

      of four-person families making $31,250 or less cannot find affordable housing

      Affordable Mortgages

      Acting as the mortgage holder, Habitat provides up to a 30-year zero-interest loan. This allows homebuyers to have affordable house payments while providing Habitat with a steady source of funds to continue building homes for qualified home buyer families.

      Green Construction

      Not only are we passionate about building affordable homes, we believe in keeping them affordable for families once they move in. By being wise about green building, we include only what will be most beneficial to families. This creates a healthful environment and drastically reduces energy and water use, saving Habitat homeowners thousands of dollars. For a family of four living on $30,000 a year, reducing their utility bills by $100 a month goes a long way in helping them be successful in their home.

      Social Impact

      When a family’s health improves, it reduces sick days so parents perform better at work and children learn more at school. When children don’t have to enroll in a new school year after year, their grades and social skills improve. As homeowners, parents set an example of personal responsibility when they shift from dependence on landlords and take pride in caring for their own property. In many ways, owning a home helps a family establish economic stability. Families can rely on a steady mortgage payment as opposed to rising rent costs. The home quickly becomes a financial asset as it begins earning equity. It also allows homeowners to support to the local economy as active taxpayers.

      ReStore Retail

      Habitat for Humanity ReStores sell new and gently-used building materials and home improvement products. The proceeds from our two Kent County locations go to our affiliate to support local Habitat families. Since opening in 2004, nearly 4,000 tons of material has avoided the landfill by being donated to our Kent County ReStores.

      Business Model

      Before we celebrate the groundbreaking of a home, Habitat has the funding in place and has identified a home to live in it. Through grants, donations, homeowner mortgage payments and ReStore funds, we are able to maintain financial sustainability. This prevents Habitat from borrowing money for building and ensures each home has a family to live in it when construction is complete.

      A Home Can Change Lives

      Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

      • Main Office:

        425 Pleasant St. SW
        Grand Rapids, MI 49503
        (616) 774-2431

      • Main Office Hours:

        Monday – Thursday: 10am – 2pm*

        *Visits at all other times are by appointment only.

      • ReStore South: Division

        5701 Division Ave S
        Wyoming, MI 49548
        (616) 531-4591

      • ReStore North: Alpine

        5920 Alpine Ave NW
        Comstock Park, MI 49321
        (616) 647-9292

      • ReStore Hours:

        Monday-Friday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
        Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

      • ReStore Donation Drop-Off Hours:

        **PLEASE NOTE: DONATION HOURS CURRENTLY VARY DUE TO STAFFING

        Monday-Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
        Saturday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

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      Interested in this house? Get a pre-qualification letter from a participating mortgage lender participating within our program requirements:

      • Mercantile Bank, Staci Nichols
      • Choice One Bank, Bonnie Potter
      • Mortgage 1, Dan Grzywacz , or
      • Click here to see a list of MHSDA-approved lenders

      Veteran Homeownership Application Request

      Home Repair Wait List

      Group Interest Survey

      • Habitat for Humanity of Kent County provides a variety of volunteer opportunities which can vary depending on the group size, age restrictions, season and general availability. Construction opportunities are full day commitments. Should you prefer a partial day activity or volunteers to work in shifts you will be scheduled for specific tasks or in one of our 3 ReStore locations.
      • Age restrictions apply to certain projects and will be enforced. Most tasks require volunteers to be at least 16 years old. Specific jobs may allow other ages. These restrictions will be indicated by a member of the volunteer services department when a date is offered.
      • Please acknowledge that you understand groups may not be confirmed until 30-60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE AGREED UPON by our volunteer services department. Due to the volume of requests for volunteer opportunities, we will ask that you agree/disagree to the date we offer within a week’s time (unless otherwise noted in our email). This ensures we can look for an alternative date if necessary and place you within a timely fashion.
      • After the completed form is submitted expect to be contacted by a member of our volunteer services department within one week.