Our Mission
We are committed to working with motivated people to provide decent, affordable housing in Oconee County. Our mission is to give people strength, stability, and hope for their future. Our families appreciate the opportunity to realize their dream of owning a home, and we value our partnership with them. Our goal is to construct 4 to 5 homes annually to address the growing demand for affordable housing in Oconee County.
Since 1986, we have 128 homes for families in need of decent afforadble homes. We continue our ministry building four to five houses per year.
Oconee Habitat is a unique organization. We operate exclusively through volunteers and have no paid staff. We are proud to be the largest volunteer Habitat affiliate in the US. Over 200 volunteers build homes, work at the Restore, and manage the pickup of donated furniture or household items. In addition, we established the Holzhauer Fund, which provides grants to our families to help them get higher education. We currently manage 83 mortgages for our families.
We have a very thorough screening process for prospective partner families. They undergo a thorough screening process to ensure they meet the requirements for a new home. We consider their current living conditions, assess specific financial criteria, and require them to contribute 250 hours of work towards their home and complete a comprehensive financial literacy course. This course covers budgeting, saving, and managing debt, ensuring our partner families are well-prepared for homeownership. Once they meet these criteria, we sell the house to them at cost and offer a 30-year interest-free mortgage.