When people think of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, they think of building houses. But did you know Habitat also develops land?

Besides building, repairing, and selling homes to families with an affordable mortgage, Twin Cities Habitat also adapts land to be safe and ready for home construction. Depending on the property, the land development process could involve anything from building roads and walkways to constructing public alleys or installing sewer and water connections.

Guest blog by Laura Tanner, Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is committed to making affordable homeownership a reality for generations to come. Many Habitat supporters choose to include a donation in their estate plans as a way to create long-term impact. When you make a donation to Twin Cities Habitat in your will or trust, you make the transformative power of home part of your legacy.

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U.S. Bank is pledging $500,000 over five years to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s critical home repair program, A Brush with Kindness. U.S. Bank has been the Program Sponsor for A Brush with Kindness since 2010.

U.S. Bank’s commitment translates into more families being prepared to succeed as homeowners and more families being stable in their homes long term. The company joins Twin Cities Habitat’s efforts to rally the community through its Multiplying the Impact campaign, a five-year $55 million fundraising campaign to double Habitat homeownership opportunities for Twin Cities families.

We’re so excited to introduce a newly restructured Executive Leadership Team at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, and to welcome four members to our Board of Directors.

Joe Khawaja will join Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity as Chief Financial Officer starting January 22.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Minnesota Housing entered into a ten-year, $25 million agreement to help tackle the region’s affordable housing crisis and racial gap in homeownership.

Twin Cities Habitat is proud to announce that Bremer Bank has committed to be the primary partner in its new Home Loan Impact Fund. Bremer has agreed to purchase up to 500 below-market Habitat mortgages over the next four years, more than doubling the number of local families that can partner with Twin Cities Habitat on affordable homeownership.

On Friday, May 20^th, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick-off construction of Habitat’s newest ReStore. Gold-painted sledgehammers were used to knock down drywall. The new store, located at 2700 Minnehaha Avenue South, is slated to open in early fall of 2016. It will be the latest retail outlet focusing on reuse and recycling in the area popularly known as the Minnehaha Mile.

A broad, statewide coalition known as Homes for All is calling on lawmakers to approve $130 million in bonding for housing-related developments during the 2016 legislative session. Minnesota’s low-income seniors, low-wage workers, and people facing homelessness are among those who would benefit most from these investments.

St. Paul, MN – Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is excited to announce that Robyn Bipes will be joining the organization in a newly created role, Vice President of Loan Fund and Mortgage Lending as the organization prepares to dramatically expand its Homeownership Program. Bipes brings tremendous experience to the position, including a background in affordable housing finance, underwriting, development, programs and policy.