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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity addresses home safety and health in South Metro Atlanta region thanks to $30,000 grant from Lowe’s

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BEFORE
AFTER

Thanks to the Lowe’s Grant, Ms. Crawford received a new roof, bathroom repairs, HVAC servicing, and more.

JONESBORO, GA (October 27, 2022) —Southern Crescent Habitat received a $30,000 grant from Lowe’s to help complete three Critical Home Repair projects for seniors in the South Metro Atlanta region. The funding is part of Lowe’s partnership renewal with Habitat for Humanity that includes a donation of $2.5 million to support 100 local Habitat organizations undertaking home repair and rehab projects across the U.S.

“With the state of the economy, so many people are trying to maintain and preserve the homes that they’ve worked so hard to build. We are excited that through the Lowe’s grant, we have helped three more families with extensive repairs that they may not have otherwise been able to afford,” exclaims COO Elizabeth Duncan.

Southern Crescent Habitat focused its efforts on aiding seniors who were in dire need of critical home repair. With 10,000 people turning 65 each day, the need for safety and home modifications is growing in communities. Not only did the home repairs provide the seniors with a peace of mind, but it will allow them to age in place. Some of the projects included roofing, bathroom modifications, and HVAC replacements.

Homeowner Ms. Bryant is a cancer patient that is currently in the process of receiving her repairs. She contacted Sothern Crescent Habitat because her “house of 27 years needed some repairs, and she didn’t have the money.”

Access to quality, affordable home repair and modification services continues to be out of reach for low to moderate income households across the nation. With the support of this funding, Southern Crescent Habitat can further its efforts of helping families in Clayton, Henry, and Fayette counties address critical health and safety issues in their homes.

Lowe’s and Habitat began their partnership in 2003. Since then, Lowe’s has supported many of the global housing nonprofit’s efforts, including the Women Build Program and Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization program. Lowe’s has also supported Habitat’s Cost of Home national advocacy campaign and sponsored local Habitat builds and employee volunteer days, in addition to providing affiliate grants and donated products. Lowe’s commitment through 2022 will bring the company’s total contributions to Habitat to more than $84 million.

About Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes and completes home repairs for income-qualified families, who need a hand up, not a handout. Through education and financial literacy, families are prepared to be successful homeowners.  By partnerships with volunteers and donors in Clayton, Henry, and Fayette Counties, their mission of building homes, communities and hope is possible.  Since 1986, they have built, renovated and repaired more than 420 homes.  For more information, please visit us at www.schabitat.org.

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE 50 home improvement company serving approximately 19 million customer transactions a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2021 sales of over $96 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service nearly 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing and helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Women Build

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s to address COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on women during International Women Build Week

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2020 International Women Build Week
Women Build Week is virtual this year, but in 2020 we worked on a home for The Barer family in our Hannah Springs neighborhood

JONESBORO, GA (March 8, 2021) –  Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s are partnering to raise awareness of the global need for safe and affordable housing for women during International Women Build Week (March 8-15). On International Women’s Day, Habitat and Lowe’s will kick off more than 300 Women Build projects supporting women-led households across the United States, Canada, and India to drive awareness and address the need.

Women have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, from job loss to evictions and foreclosures. According to The National Women’s Law Center, 80 percent of U.S. jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic were held by women. The United Nations (UN) has reported that 40 percent of all employed women globally work in the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of the families in our pipeline represent the frontline workers who have been hit the hardest by this pandemic. We had to postpone three closings last year and all of the families were comprised of essential workers. Although we are not able to kickoff Women Build Week on the construction site, Southern Crescent Habitat is proud to partner with Lowe’s and women in our community to raise our voices and advocate for affordable housing. Board members to a Superior Court Judge have joined us to create a PSA in the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Choose to Challenge,” exclaims Cynthia Jenkins, Southern Crescent Habitat CEO.

Despite the unprecedented challenges women are facing, women remain on the frontlines of the pandemic as essential workers, as caretakers within their households, and too often have to make the difficult decision between maintaining a place to call home and paying for food, health care, childcare, education or reliable transportation. Harvard University’s State of the Nation’s Housing 2020 report revealed that 37.1 million U.S. households spent more than 30 percent of their incomes on housing in 2019, including 17.6 million spending more than 50 percent. The effects of the pandemic have further highlighted the need for safe and affordable housing, as 29 percent of renters and 36 percent of homeowners experienced employment income loss between March and September of 2020.

Stephanie Barber, a Marta employee, knows this story all too well. She is a frontline worker and understands the hardships that women face, especially as a single mother of three. Although her dreams of homeownership were deferred due to the pandemic, she was finally able to close on her home last Summer and is advocating for other women.

This story is not unique. Every day, millions of women face the challenge of a future without adequate, stable housing. This issue underscores the importance of Habitat and Lowe’s efforts to bring awareness to the issue, as well as a partnership focused on ensuring that more women have access to affordable housing.

Lowe’s and Habitat’s partnership began in 2003. To date, the program has brought together more than 143,000 women volunteers who have built or repaired nearly 6,000 houses. Lowe’s has committed more than $78 million to support the global housing nonprofit’s efforts, including the Women Build program, International Women Build Week, and Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization program. Lowe’s support of Habitat has helped more than 18,000 Habitat partner families improve their living conditions.

To learn more or join the conversation, visit habitat.org/womenbuild or follow #BuildHer and #WomenBuild on social media to share and view stories from around the world.

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Women from around the South Atlanta region (Clayton, Henry, and Fayette counties) use their voice to Challenge Change and advocate for affordable housing on International Women’s Day and to kick-off Women Build Week!