Habitat For Humanity, the affordable housing fundraiser par excellence, the folks who perfected volunteer sweat equity, have thrown up their hands in California and cried ‘uncle.’
The bottom line: in spite of their best efforts, Habitat for Humanity unable to fundraise fast enough to subsidize the rising costs of their project in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Reluctantly, they abandoned their plans sell the housing at its most affordable. In order to avoid taking a loss on the project, they raised the price to fit the definition of ‘missing middle’1 housing.
Habitat for Humanity, a charity fuelled by its own fundraising, is both embarrassed and apologetic for the unexpected change of plans. However, it partially excuses itself by pointing out the need for ‘missing middle’ housing it will be delivering.
Let us hope this does not represent a necessary sea change. Would they be as successful organizing ‘sweat equity’ volunteer labour and donations for a struggling middle class? Read more in The Mercury News: Even Habitat for Humanity can’t build Bay Area homes cheaply enough for lower-income buyers
Footnotes
- Missing middle affordability is housing that is not affordable for the poorest renters or buyers, but instead for middle class folks who are being priced out of their communities. Why? Even though they can afford to buy more expensive housing, there is simply none available in an overheated housing market
