Becky Engen has a passion for writing and building and engaging with communities through social media. She graduated from St. Cloud State University, and began her career in marketing and advertising as a junior copywriter and social media specialist. Becky joined the Twin Cities Habitat marketing team in 2013 as the Digital Marketing Program Manager and loves that she continues to learn something new each and every day about the great people who work for, volunteer with, and are served through the organization.
Maybe you've heard about the affordable housing crisis. Do you know the data behind it?
A few months ago, Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) released its Out of Reach Minnesota 2019 report, which covers rental affordability across the state. MHP also released its State of the State's Housing 2019 report, which gives similar affordability information for Minnesota homeowners.
The ReStore team has been busy putting together an amazing lineup of DIY posts after wrapping our Earth Day Upcycle Challenge a few months back, and we're ready to kick things off with another challenge! Take a look at recent DIY projects, and find details on our next Upcycle Challenge below. You'll also find a few pieces that highlight the great things you can find at our Habitat for Humanity ReStore home improvement outlets!
If you've kept up with the news, especially news around budgets and housing, then you've probably heard of the new policy that puts an end to single-family zoning in Minneapolis. This is just one of two parts of a new long-term development plan, Minneapolis 2040, that outlines major changes for land use. The plan was approved by the Minneapolis City Council in a 12-1 vote in December 2018.
It has been a busy few months over on the ReStoration Corner blog, where we've been highlighting everything from our DIY projects and inspo, to our amazing volunteers and shop-worthy donated merchandise. Take a look!
As an organization, Twin Cities Habitat has been dedicating time and resources to fully embrace our newest value of Equity & Inclusion. From staff-wide IDI assessments, to routine breakfast conversations and continued Lunch & Learn workshops, we are pushing ourselves to grow and learn not only about the diversity of our organization from a workplace standpoint, but also gain a better understanding of the community we serve.
As many of you know, here at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and at both of our Habitat ReStore outlets, we put a focus on being as green as possible. From the way we built our new main office on Prior Ave. and University Ave., to the day-to-day operations of our stores, we make every effort to do so in an earth-friendly way.
With Earth Day just a little over a month away, we've been sharing some of these green-efforts on our ReStore ReStoration Corner Blog, and wanted to make sure to give you an updated look into shopping at our home improvement outlets!
With the extreme snow and cold we've recently experienced here in the Twin Cities, our team of experts wanted to share their tips on what you should do as a homeowner to prepare your house for the worst winter weather conditions.
This past month on the ReStoration Corner Blog has been all about inspired DIY projects. Whether it's a calendar of crafts, a home filled with reused materials, or a Q&A with our avid-DIYer and staff member Jan, we've got some great inspiration just for you!
If you've spent any time on Netflix or social media lately, chances are you've seen or read a mention of Marie Kondo. Her new Netflix series, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, has had people everywhere in a frenzy to declutter, purge, and organize their homes.
Like many other nonprofits, Twin Cities Habitat is dedicated to making the most of every dollar entrusted to us. And just like any other local builder and developer, Twin Cities Habitat is at the mercy of the local real estate market when it comes to purchasing land to build our homes.
We also feel the same competition other homebuyers experience when it comes to purchasing homes that we repair or update and sell to our qualified buyers. That's why when an individual, company, congregation or other community group decides to donate a home, land, or other property in support of our mission, it's definitely something we celebrate.
"Believe it or not, land is one of our top needs and directly impacts our mission," said Laura Tanner, Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer at Habitat.
