Central S.C. Habitat for Humanity does much more than build houses.

Habitat for Humanity transforms neighborhoods one block at a time

Ask someone what they know about Habitat for Humanity and chances are, they will likely know us as a philanthropic organization that builds houses for lower income people. That's not incorrect but it is incomplete.

While building homes is a major part of what we do, Habitat is about far more than that. The mission of Central SC Habitat for Humanity is to bring people together to build homes, community, and hope. For 36 years, Central SC Habitat for humanity has provided affordable housing to low and moderate-income families in Richland, Lexington, and Fairfield counties.

To date, we have built over 275 homes, or approximately eight homes per year. Of those, 96 families have satisfied their mortgages. And for anyone who might think affordable housing is a financial risk, consider this: since we started building homes in 1985, there have been only 12 foreclosures.

Our business model is sound, sustainable, and based on constant community re-investment 93 cents of every dollar we receive goes right back into the community. It can also be easily replicated and implemented virtually anywhere. Indeed, Lexington and Richland Counties, the towns of Cayce and Lexington and city of Columbia all know this and officially list us as key community partners.

Habitat not only builds new houses but also improves neighborhoods. We clean up littered vacant lots and abandoned homes. Wherever we happen to be working, we survey the neighborhood for existing homes that might need important repairs or upgrades. Usually, the owners of homes we identify meet the criteria to receive our help. As a result, we have helped many people, including seniors, single parents, and veterans.

Habitat sets the stage for families and...