Last week, we held the 7th annual Women of Habitat Hope Builders Luncheon at the Hilton Minneapolis. The event not only highlighted the impact that women can provide within the community, but it also shed light on the opportunities affordable housing can provide for families, especially families with children.

Guest Blog by Tom Prittinen
Twin Cities Habitat Summer AmeriCorps Member

Hey folks!  As a guest writer for this blog, let me introduce myself: 

My name is Tom Prittinen, and I had the opportunity to be one half of the AmeriCorps presence on the Maple Grove build site this summer.  I am a political science major at Saint John’s University, and plan to graduate in the spring. 

Guest blog by Pam Johnson
Policy and Advocacy Manager

You spoke up, and our federal elected officials listened. Thanks to the strong advocacy work of so many Housing Heroes in Minnesota and throughout the nation, our federal funding for Habitat programs received a boost in funding this past fiscal year. These funds are critical to our ability to create more homeownership opportunities for Minnesotans each year, with each public dollar leveraging ten private sector dollars.  Thank you.

“Always do the right thing,” instructs the big block letters on the back of a t-shirt. It’s early May on a construction site in North Minneapolis and dozens of workers are moving about in matching green shirts with those same five words which happen to be the Ryan Companies motto. They’re the primary sponsor of this home and the kelly-clad workers scattered across the site are Ryan team members. Throughout the course of the year more than 300 Ryan employees (from field staff to the finance team and everyone in between) helped build this two-story, four-bedroom home.

Guest Blog by CJ Fitzsimmons
Women Build Committee Member

Over the summer over 700 women came together to build a home in St. Paul! Along the way, they each learned something new, whether it be skills, facts about affordable house, or what it takes to complete a build project.

If you have learned that you're eligible for the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program, you will still need to submit your application. In order to do that, you'll need to collect and send the required materials.

To make your application process a little easier, we've listed all the materials and some helpful tips on where to find them.

Happy World Habitat Day!

Over 30 years ago, the United Nations established the first Monday in October as World Habitat Day. 

According to the U.N., this day is meant for us "to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It also reminds us we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns."

It's a day for reflection and action. It's for us to think globally, and act locally. 

The first time you buy a house you may hear several terms you don't know. One of these terms is home equity. While it may be a little confusing at first, it's important to understand these terms before closing on a house.

So, what is home equity? Why is it important? How can you build your home’s equity? And what does market value have to do with it?

Our global engagement work has been ramping up, and we have fun news and milestones to share with everyone!

Guest Blog by Caitlin Magistad
Local & Regional Policy Coordinator

Happy National Voter Registration Day! Held on the fourth Tuesday of September starting in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is an opportunity for communities to celebrate our democracy and raise awareness about the importance of voting. Our local, state, and federal elected officials make important decisions that impact our everyday lives—including where we live.