What is Veterans Build?
Habitat for Humanity’s national initiative to provide housing solutions and volunteer and employment opportunities to U.S. veterans, military service members and their families.
What activities does Veterans Build support?
The Veterans Build mission is focused on these five inter-related areas:
- Build: Provide simple, decent and affordable housing solutions for military, veterans and their families.
- Mobilize: Engage military members, veterans, families, veterans’ groups and all military supporters in volunteer programs and veteran-related advocacy.
- Employ: Capitalize on skill sets gained from military service with recruitment targeting veterans as Habitat for Humanity International/local affiliate employees, board members and extended volunteers, national service members, interns and fellows.
- Educate: Promote cultural competency engaging military and veterans and provide access to financial literacy and home ownership education programs.
- Honor: Host events highlighting veteran housing needs and honoring their service. Target dates include the 9/11 Day of Service, MLK Day and Veterans Day.
 |
|
Why is Habitat for Humanity focusing on veteran needs?
- Nearly 4 million veteran households pay more than 30 percent of income for housing.
- More than 1.5 million of these households pay more than 50 percent of income for housing (severe cost burden).
- Nearly 1 million veterans who own homes are severely cost burdened, despite having access to VA loans and other assistance.
- A substantial subset of veterans struggles economically. Approximately 1.4 million veterans (6.7 percent) live in poverty