About Us - munciehabitat.org

Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.

Mission Principles

1. Demonstrate the Love of Jesus Christ

We undertake our work to demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus, acting in all ways in accord with the belief that God’s love and grace abound for all, and that we must be “hands and feet” of that love and grace in our world. We believe that, through faith, the minuscule can be multiplied to accomplish the magnificent, and that, in faith, respectful relationships can grow among all people.

2. Focus on Shelter

We have chosen, as our means of manifesting God’s love, to create opportunities for all people to live in decent, durable shelter. We put faith into action by helping to build, renovate or preserve homes, and by partnering with others to accelerate and broaden access to affordable housing as a foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty.

3. Advocate for Affordable Housing

In response to the prophet Micah’s call to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God, we promote decent, affordable housing for all, and we support the global community’s commitment to housing as a basic human right. We will advocate for just and fair housing policy to eliminate the constraints that contribute to poverty housing. And, in all of our work, we will seek to put shelter on hearts and minds in such powerful ways that poverty housing becomes socially, politically and religiously unacceptable.

4. Promote Dignity & Hope

We believe that no one lives in dignity until everyone can live in dignity. We believe that every person has something to contribute and something to gain from creating communities in which all people have decent, affordable places to live. We believe that dignity and hope are best achieved through equitable, accountable partnerships.

5. Support Sustainable and Transformational Development

We view our work as successful when it transforms lives and promotes positive and lasting social, economic and spiritual change within a community; when it is based on mutual trust and fully shared accomplishment; and when it demonstrates responsible stewardship of all resources entrusted to us.

Strategic Plan

Click here to read our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.

Non-proselytizing Policy

Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations (HFH) will not proselytize. Nor will HFH work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with HFH. This means that HFH will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must (i) adhere to or convert to a particular faith or (ii) listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.

History

The Habitat Movement began as an idea in South Georgia and continues to expand across not only the nation but throughout the world. Habitat affiliates build in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, Habitat affiliates are in over 70 countries worldwide. Together, more than 59 million people around the world have found strength, stability and shelter through Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing efforts.

Greater Muncie, Indiana Habitat for Humanity affiliate began in 1986, when the Reverend Fred Dare, Pastor of Community United Church of Christ and one of his parishioners, Sharon Brown, attended a meeting at Eden United Church of Christ to hear Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity International. The meeting inspired people from Muncie to go to a work camp at the Americus, Georgia headquarters of Habitat International.

From that experience, the momentum to organize a Muncie affiliate was born. On July 15, 1986 a task force was formed to explore establishing a Habitat affiliate in Muncie. That same week, Muncie residents went to Lafayette, Indiana to attend a home dedication and meet President Jimmy Carter.

This is when “Infectious Habititis” set in! On September 30th a Board and slate of officers were chosen.

Less than a year after getting the vision for Habitat in Muncie, the group had been given half a city block, consisting of 5 building sites! Two houses were also donated; one on South Walnut and the other on East Jackson Street. By December of that year, the group had been formally recognized as Greater Muncie, Indiana Habitat for Humanity, Inc.

Only a year and a half after the Habitat vision was cast the first Habitat home in Muncie was dedicated on April 30, 1988. It was 1,300 square feet in size and the cost was $22,000.

The second home was built at 3001 South Jefferson. But unlike the first home, which took a year to build this home was built in a week’s time! A true ‘blitz build’ inspired many new donors, volunteers, and churches.

The organization was a truly all-volunteer force until 1994, when Sharon Brown was named the first Executive Director. It wasn’t until 1996 that the first office facilities were purchased at 1923 S. Hoyt Ave. Now, the office is located at 1420 S. Hoyt Ave., a newly renovated building, with plenty of construction storage and offices for all administrative and program staff.

In April of 2007, Habitat hosted the grand opening of Habitat for Humanity ReStore (previously named Home Discount Center), which sells new & used building supplies to the general public which might otherwise end up in a landfill. ReStore relocated to 4640 W. Bethel Avenue in 2018 where it now successfully helps to fund one new construction house build annually, through the profits from the sale of donated items!

The 100th Habitat homeowner was welcomed into their new home during 2011 celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary. That same year, the affiliate hosted two representatives from Habitat Bolivia, the long-time partner ‘tithe’ country.

As a response to a glut of foreclosed and vacant homes, Muncie Habitat began to rehabilitate homes in 2013. For many years, the organization exclusively rehabbed homes, giving families some unique characteristics while maintaining energy efficiency and updated utilities.

Today, Muncie Habitat works to revitalize entire neighborhoods—emphasizing sense of community, social cohesion, and collection action. The 8twelve Coalition was launched from Muncie Habitat for Humanity to bring together residents and organizations around this vision, and to solicit participation and advocate for improvements and investments within southside neighborhoods.

Our Work

Habitat for Humanity homes are built according to these guiding principles:

Simple

Habitat homes are modestly-sized. They are large enough for the homeowner family’s needs, but small enough to keep construction and maintenance costs to a minimum.

Decent

Habitat for Humanity uses quality, locally-available building materials. Habitat house designs reflect the local climate and culture.

Affordable

The labor of volunteers and partner families, energy efficient building methods, modest house sizes and no-profit loans make it affordable for low-income families to purchase Habitat homes.

Homeownership Program Details

Homeowner Advocacy

12-18 month program
Interest free 20-30 year mortgage

Habitat Homes Are Not Free

250 sweat equity hours
Homeowner/Financial classes
1% down payment

Sweat Equity

100+ construction site hours
40+ class hours
ReStore/Office hours
Neighborhood hours

One-on-One Meetings with Homeowner Services Team

Guide families through the home purchase process
Goal setting and monitoring
Plan for adjacent assistance programs

Repair Program Details

Homeowner Advocacy

Keeping families in their homes with a focus on health, safety, and code compliance

Habitat Repairs Are Not Free

4 sweat equity hours
One-time fee with a sliding scale based on project cost and partner income

Neighborhood Revitalization

Habitat has learned that the greatest change happens in a neighborhood when people work together—residents, community associations, and partners. It starts first by understanding everyone’s gifts, dreams, and concerns about the neighborhood (see Figure 1, center of map); then building a strong foundation around sense of community and social cohesion (green section); and, finally, utilizing this base to collectively act and implement projects that contribute to sector outcomes (movements from green to blue). Arrows at the bottom of the map represent an iterative process, guiding users to continue to build social capital (green) in a neighborhood throughout the revitalization process.

Muncie Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization model involved deeply-rooted work in the focus neighborhoods of South Central and Thomas Park/Avondale for many years. Through this body of work, the 8twelve Coalition (link to: https://8twelvemuncie.com/) was formed.

In 2022, the 8twelve Coalition launched out of Muncie Habitat, deepening the Coalition’s investment in the South Central and Thomas Park/Avondale neighborhoods, and allowing Muncie Habitat to move Neighborhood Revitalization efforts into its next focus neighborhood.

Muncie Habitat’s next Neighborhood Revitalization initiatives will focus on the Industry neighborhood, while still supporting the work of the 8twelve Coalition in South Central and Thomas Park/Avondale.

We are currently building relationship within the Industry neighborhood and learning the gifts, dreams, and concerns of our Industry neighbors to identify how Muncie Habitat’s programs can best support the neighborhood.

HANDS

Helping All Neighbors Discover Safety – or, HANDS – is a branch of Muncie Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization work. HANDS is a group comprised of local nonprofit organizations, neighbors, and active community members that meet bi-weekly with a focus of supporting community initiatives and programs that promote safety in our community.