This isn’t your average haunted house. Guests will enjoy cookies, hot cocoa, candy – even a scavenger hunt – while learning about substandard housing in the Twin Cities.  Youth United members are organizing this fun and educational event. Click here to learn more!

If you’ve ever been out to Lake Minnetonka you know the drill.  Beautiful houses, plenty of shoreline and breathtaking views. But if you travel just a half mile further you see something very different. You are greeted with aging, dilapidated homes that are a far cry from those only blocks away. Read more here.

A group of 18 volunteers from the Twin Cities are building the 2,000th Habitat home in Mozambique as part of a Global Village trip. Twin Cities Habitat began a tithe partnership with Mozambique in 2010 and has sent more than $200,000 to the Habitat affiliate there so far. Thanks to the low-cost of home construction that's enough money to build 75 simple, decent homes for Mozambique families.
Full Story

More than three dozen top executives from Minnesota companies are volunteering for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s 10^th Annual CEO Build on Monday, October 10. Read more

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as annual World Habitat Day, a day of grassroots action to unite our efforts to eradicate poverty housing.This year, Habitat for Humanity will engage in a series of special activities over six weeks to highlight the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter. The activities will begin on today, Oct. 3, and will end in November with the 28th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Haiti. Read about how we're celebrating right here in the Twin Cities.

Two Days and a wake up. That’s the way I used to count down for a mission when I was serving in the military.  Now however, I am counting down to an entirely different kind of mission.  This mission, unlike others, is a mission of hope and opportunity. ... Read more here.

The Twin Cities FREE Financial Planning Day is Oct. 8 at  Hennepin County Library-Minneapolis Central.  Topics include credit and debt, investing, retirement, taxes, homeownership, estate planning, insurance, employee benefits, education savings & small business. All are welcome, but pre-registration is recommended. Learn more or register.

Do you have leftover shingles from that roofing project from a couple years ago that take up space and are difficult to move on your own?  How about that basement refrigerator that hasn’t been used since you upgraded to the new stainless steel one? If you’re looking to get rid of these household items please consider donating them to the Twin Cities Habitat ReStore. The ReStore makes it easy for you to donate your materials. We pick up donations!
Read more here.

We are in need of construction volunteers this week and beyond! Sign up today.

Read and discuss great books centered around housing. Find out more

It’s never been easier to make a donation to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity! Look for the square QR codes reading “Scan here to donate to this build” at any of our current build sites, and use your smart phone to scan the code. It's that easy!

Congresswoman Betty McCollum and more than 25 DFL staff and retirees volunteered Wednesday at an East Side home as part of the party’s week of service. The volunteers were responding to Gov. Mark Dayton’s inaugural speech, in which he asked each Minnesotan to serve their community. DFLers also volunteered with local food shelves and school supply drives this week.
Read more about the day on site.....

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity allocates 10% of all undesignated donations (called "tithe") to support Habitat's work across the globe.  This past year TCHFH tithed $393,828--more money than any other affiliate in the world! We are grateful for the support of our generous donors as we continue to build homes and hope across the world.  This past year TCHFH's tithe went to support Habitat's work in three countries--Mozambique, Costa Rica and Haiti.  Please visit www.tchabitat.org/global to read more about how this works.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's new Disaster Recovery Program is working with underinsured homeowners to help them rebuild following this spring's tornado. The Camden Lions have stepped up to sponsors several of the first projects in this work. The Camden Lions say they're committed to helping these members of their community rebuild and put their lives back together.
More on the Disaster Recovery Program

On Friday, July 29 at 3:30 pm there will be an on-site ceremony at 1064 Gorman in West St. Paul for the Jim Baller Family & Friends build. All are welcome to join this event, which will celebrate the contribution of the Baller family in honor of the late Jim Baller. We'd love to see you there! Click here for a link to the Baller Family Story.

Thank you to everyone who helped with the massive cleanup effort on Saturday, June 4. It was a great success! Join us in continuing to help the North Minneapolis community rebuild from the tornado. www.tchabitat.org/disasterrecovery

Women Build volunteers will be building two Twin Cities Habitat homes this summer. The kickoff event for the first is Monday, June 6 at 836 Deppe Street in West St. Paul. Visit the Women Build page to get involved.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the Gala a huge success! More than 850 people attended our special evening at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. We celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the dedication of our very first home. Check out this video about the woman who bought that home. And save the date Saturday, April 21, 2012 for next year's Gala!

Twin Cites Habitat kicked off a summer of Women Build projects this morning in St. Paul by painting the home of Susan Zoff in St. Paul. This A Brush with Kindness Project is part of Habitat for Humanity's national Women Build Week leading up to Mother's Day. 

Read more about the day...

One hundred and forty Habitat supporters from 41 of the 67 legislative Districts traveled to Saint Paul to meet with their elected officials at the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 5. Over the course of the day, Habitat advocates met with over half of the State Senators and Representatives and demonstrated how important the partnership is between Habitat affiliates and the State in building communities where everyone can afford to live.

As a special treat, participants were able to meet with Governor Dayton as he spoke to supporters about the importance of programs like Habitat. “I admire your dedication to helping your fellow citizens,” said Dayton.

You can also view photos from the event here.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has lost a dear friend and one of our original founders. Orris Eide passed away last week. Orris made a trip to New Jersey in 1985 to sign the original affiliate documents for Twin Cities Habitat. He was a master carpenter, an excellent teacher and a volunteer on the Northwest Regulars crew for many, many years.  He was also deeply involved with the work of Billy Graham. Orris was a man of true faith and compassion and will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched.

St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi is holding the Cemstone Run for Others on Saturday April 16th. There is a 5K run/walk, a 10K run, and a one mile fun run. Sign up by April 14 and the fee is just $20 ($30 after that). The money raised goes to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. St. Andrew's also supports Twin Cities Habitat through the Thrivent Builds Program. www.saintandrews.org Sign up for the Run for Others

Follow the stories and see the pictures of the 22 Twin Cities Habitat volunteers working in La Fortuna, Costa Rica right now. Find out what happened when they tried to teach the Costa Ricans how to play kickball.
Global Village trip blog

Local Veterans are volunteering all the labor in this a new partnership between TC Habitat and the Metropolitan Council for Independent Living.
See how you can help more Veterans get ramps

This year Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the dedication of our very first home. Since then, we've built more than 830 homes in the Twin Cities. And we've got big plans for the years ahead. See what our volunteers, donors, homebuyers and staff hope for the future of Twin Cities Habitat. Hopes for the future

Kao Kalia Yang, author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, told her emotional and inspiring story of growing up in a dilapidated home in St. Paul during Twin Cities Habitat's annual dinner on February 15, 2011. TC Habitat bought the home, tore it down and is building a new home on the land. Hear Kao Kalia as she tells her story to volunteers during the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in October 2010.
Kao Kalia Yang's story

The foreclosures crisis is far from over in Minnesota. The latest data shows 2010 was even worse than 2009. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program (MFPP) continues to respond to a huge need for struggling homeowners. Click here to read how. Click here to learn more about MFPP.

The Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore can save you 50% or more on your next project. Visit our booth at the upcoming Home & Patio Show and the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show (you could get free earplugs!). Click here for details or Check out how the ReStore works.

This is a great chance to learn all about the issues surrounding poverty housing in the Twin Cities. The retreat is from March 13-16. A sample of activities include working on a Habitat home, visiting a homeless shelter, visiting the State Capitol, and exploring creative housing solutions. Read more and sign-up here...

Governor Mark Dayton has selected Susan Haigh, President and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, to be the new Chair of the Board of the Metropolitan Council. The Met Council oversees regional planning for the seven-county metro area and guides local public infrastructure investment such as roads, transit, sewers, parks, and affordable housing. Read More...

Thanks to our generous donors, volunteers and partners Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity accomplished great things in 2010. Here is a personal "Thank You" from our President and CEO Susan Haigh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gGdKX4H-Hg

A Photo Story - Habitat for Humanity's Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative is a response to the profound challenges facing communities throughout the United States. While new construction remains strong, affiliates across the country are expanding the way they work to also include repairs and rehabilitations. Read more...

Habitat for Humanity surpassed its 400,000 house milestone during its most recent fiscal year. Since the nonprofit organization was founded in 1976, its self-help, hand-up model has resulted in rehabbed, repaired or new housing for more than 2 million people worldwide.
Read More...

Wells Fargo has made a $1 million equity-equivalent investment (EQ2) to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to help purchase foreclosed properties, rebuild neighborhoods and provide affordable housing for new homeowners. "These funds will help us move more quickly and accelerate our response to the foreclosure crisis in the hardest hit Twin Cities neighborhoods," says Sue Haigh, president of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.

Minneapolis-based Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has pledged more than $700,000 to build seven new homes with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in 2011. This is part of the partnership known as Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, which has led to the construction of nearly 1,500 Habitat homes around the United States in the past five years.
Read more...

Thanks to you and other wonderful supporters, we’ve helped many more families secure a brighter future. We invite you to share some of our successes from the past fiscal year by viewing our online annual report. Inside you’ll be able to watch testimonials from our partner families and longtime supporters, read about the impact of your contributions, and hear about our new ambitious campaign.  Read more...

November 1, 2010 (Minneapolis, MN) Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity announced today that Mary Schumacher will join the organization January 1, 2011, in the newly formed role of Chief Operating Officer. Read more...

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan is coming to Minnesota to help chart the future of building sustainable communities. Secretary Donovan will be the keynote speaker at the Homes for All 2010 conference at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Monday, November 8th. Read more...

Sharon Pfieffer said it’s the best job she’s never been paid to do. But it’s a job well enough done for her efforts to earn a presidential pat on the back. Pfieffer, and a cavalcade of other Habitat for Humanity volunteers from around the Twin Cities, received a visit last week from the organization’s most well known spokesman – Jimmy Carter. Read more...

For the 27th consecutive year, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn strapped on toolbelts this past week to help low-income families build better housing and to help Habitat for Humanity raise awareness about the need for decent, affordable housing. Read more...

(VIDEO) First, President Carter described the view from Farview Park and lauded our historic housing stock, then stated, "We've never worked in a nicer neighborhood than this one. Read more...

Dannie Mae McKibbins isn't your typical Habitat for Humanity recipient. McKibbins, the first black woman to enroll in the University of Minnesota's nursing program, had a career as a surgical nurse before retiring decades ago. A frugal woman, she's saved every dime she could. "I've always owned my own home." Read more...

Twelve new homes are being constructed in the Hawthorne neighborhood, which was chosen to be part of the 2010 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. The project is partnered with Habitat for Humanity and creates affordable housing. Read more...

When tackling any major project, it's always nice to have a little help from your friends. Former President Jimmy Carter is receiving some help today from old political pal Walter Mondale. Indeed, the former Vice President arrived in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., areas yesterday to put some additional muscle behind a project that has been near and dear to Carter's heart for the past 27 years. Read more...

Melo Lawson may wind up with the most famous house in north Minneapolis, thanks to a high-powered work crew that descended on her front yard Wednesday. There was former President Jimmy Carter, standing between two sawhorses, drilling holes into lumber. Read more...

How do you transform a blighted, crime-ridden neighborhood into a place a homeowner would be honored to call home? A fresh coat of paint helps. And so does a visit from a former U.S. president. On Wednesday, Jimmy Carter joined former Vice President Walter Mondale, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, U.S. Sen. Al Franken and a host of other volunteers as they helped build or rehab a dozen homes in a corner of North Minneapolis hard-hit by the foreclosure crisis. Read more...

(VIDEO) President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn visited the Twin Cities Wednesday to pitch in for Habitat for Humanity. The 2010 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is an initiative to build, renovate and repair 26 homes in a single week and highlight the need for affordable housing. Read more...

This year’s Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity project is bringing out the political star power. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were helping out today at the Hawthorne EcoVillage site in north Minneapolis as part of the 27th annual Carter Work Project. Also on hand were Walter Mondale, Carter’s vice president, and Sen. Al Franken. Read more...

Former President Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity International’s best-known ambassador, was in Twin Cities on Wednesday to tout the work of the nonprofit’s local affiliate. Carter joined ranks with Walter Mondale, his former vice president, to assist Habitat volunteers building two homes in north Minneapolis’ Hawthorne neighborhood. Read more...

Former President Jimmy Carter became Minnesota's carpenter-in-chief Wednesday as he joined Habitat for Humanity crews rebuilding a Minneapolis home. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, arrived at the north Minneapolis worksite about 8:30 a.m. as part of the 27th annual Carter Work Project. Read more...

The Carters will be volunteering on construction projects in Minneapolis on Wednesday and in St. Paul on Thursday and appear at a fundraiser Wednesday night in St. Paul. Read more...

Through the annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, this week 12 homes in Minneapolis and 14 homes in St. Paul will be built, renovated or repaired. The Twin Cities is one of four U.S. hosts of the project this year, and the Carters will be here later this week to lend a hand. Read more...

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity on Monday deployed some 2,000 volunteers for the start of a week-long campaign to build 26 new homes and spruce up about a dozen aging houses in Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods hit hard by mortgage foreclosures. Read more...

Everyone loves a makeover story, but they don't get any more dramatic than the one under way in Hawthorne, a north Minneapolis neighborhood with a tough reputation. Read more...

(VIDEO) Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has launched the 2010 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, a week-long initiative to build, renovate and repair 26 homes and highlight the need for affordable housing solutions. Read more...

The United Nations designates the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day, and Habitat for Humanity is hosting its annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project this week in six U.S. cities including Minneapolis and St. Paul. Read more...

Later this week, former president Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter will be in the Twin Cities as part of a nationwide effort to help revitalize communities hit hard by the housing crisis. Read more...

Throughout this week, more than 2,000 volunteers will head to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, grab a quick breakfast and then pile into buses that will propel them to their daunting mission: Repairing or building 26 houses in five days. Read more...

On Thursday, Ya Landa Kinchelow will celebrate the 300 hours of physical labor she's put into her new Habitat for Humanity home on St. Paul's York Avenue by accepting a Bible straight from the hands of former President Jimmy Carter. Read more...

Despite his health scare this week, former President Jimmy Carter is expected to be in the Twin Cities next week for a Habitat for Humanity work project. Read more...

There's a good reason 5K's are one of the most popular fundraisers - they're a blast to participate in! Get out and enjoy the great fall weather with a course that circles the East and West banks of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.  Read more...

KARE 11 sent 20 volunteers to a home at 3547 Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis throughout the day on Tuesday. Leading the group was Kare11 News co-anchor Julie Nelson. "This morning, when I got up, I did not know that I would be harnessed to a roof, but look at these new skills!" Nelson joked. Read more...

The Valspar Corporation and Habitat for Humanity International will mark their long-standing relationship today with a festive ceremony celebrating their 1 millionth gallon of paint. To represent this milestone, the partnering organizations will unveil a two-story home built entirely of Valspar paint cans. Read more...

With a hammer in hand, Wild netminder Josh Harding took some time before training camp begins next month to give back to the community that has cheered him on throughout his five seasons in Minnesota, volunteering at a Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity build. Read more...

Just days before the primary, elected officials from Minnesota are taking a break from the campaign trail and picking up hammers to help rebuild a North Minneapolis home, as part of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's Women Build project. Read more...

David Lual and Suzy Benjamin couldn't stop smiling. As their three children played outside, the couple joined about 40 others in dedicating their new Habitat for Humanity home. Among those in attendance were Jerry and Terrie Schrank, who donated the home, which they originially built in 1984 and lived in for nearly 25 years. Read more...

It is sure to be a painting event of Olympic proprtions. Members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Curling and Luge Teams will spend the day volunteering with Twin Cities Habitaty for Humanity's A Brush with Kindness program on Saturday, July 24. Read more...

Twin Cities Habitat helped Habitat for Humanity achieve the rank of No. 8 on the Builder 100 list, marking the first time the nonprofit has been among the top 10 biggest builders in the United States. The list also shows Habitat, with 5,294 closings last year, moved up three spots in 2009 from its 2008 ranking of No. 11.

Female Habitat for Humanity crews here and around the country are rebuilding houses and aiding neighborhoods....That story is embodied by a north Minneapolis woman who is working alongside a female crew this summer to create a home from a foreclosed wreck on Emerson Avenue N. that's also part of the economic uplift of the North Side. Read More...

The Look Before You Leap campaign warns of illegitimate loan modification companies. There will be an event at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on the East Side of St. Paul, one of the areas hardest hit by foreclosure, featuring homeowners who have agreed to share their horror stories. Read More...

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) will dedicate the organization’s 800th home at 1918 Willow Ave. North in Minneapolis, Monday, June 14 at 6 p.m.  The block party will also recognize the completion of 14 additional homes in the surrounding neighborhood. Read More...

Redefining the phrase "break a nail," several hundred women will descend on a North Minneapolis home during the coming summer months, power tools and sledgehammers in hand, as part of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build™ project. Read More...

The Holy Hammers have partnered up with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and are building their first home in Shoreview. Work started at the end of April and is expected to be complete in July. Read more...

Many nonprofit organizations have been in survival mode since the economy went sour and donations began shrinking. But some are doing more than just getting by—they're finding ways to take advantage of the situation.  Read More... 

Numbers from the first half of this year show that more than 11,000 foreclosures were recorded in Minnesota. But thanks to a new law, Sally Fresquez' home isn't yet on that list. And you may benefit from the same legislation.  Read More...

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day.  The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.  Read More...

KARE 11 anchors stepped away from their news desks for a day to volunteer with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Julie Nelson, Mike Pomeranz, Diana Pierce, Belinda Jensen and Randy Shaver participated in Build with KARE Day in Ramsey on June 16, working alongside volunteers from Prime Therapeutics. Read More

Receiving the largest donation it has ever received from partner Thrivent Builds, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity raised the wall on a new townhome Monday in St. Paul that will be the local organization's first LEED-certified townhome development and one of the first in the nation.  Read More