This spring over thirty rural Habitat for Humanity affiliates were invited to apply for $25,000 challenge grants. Of the applicants, 10 affiliates will be selected this summer to receive a challenge grant; they will then have one year to raise $31,250 in matching funds.

For eleven years now The Ford Family Foundation has committed to supporting the rural affiliates of Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. The need for affordable housing for low-income families continues to remain high. We know that children of homeowners are more likely to stay in school and that owning a home leads to improved test scores and to a higher quality home environment.

Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat affiliates build and rehabilitate simple, decent homes with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor – sweat equity – into building their home and the homes of others. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, and financed with affordable loans. The homeowner’s monthly mortgage payments are then used to build more Habitat homes.