“Home has rarely been
more of a life or death situation.”
– Leilani Farha, UN special rapporteur on the right of adequate housing
The scope and impact of COVID-19 is unprecedented. It has led to a near halt of the U.S. economy. In Lake County, unemployment claims skyrocketed by 1,810.0% to 3,820 in the week that ended March 21, according to Hoosiers by the Numbers. The impact will be felt for months and years to come.
The pandemic’s effect on housing will be significant and lasting. Based on history, it’s likely that the negative effects will be disproportionately borne by vulnerable communities and low-income individuals. As the economic shocks from this crisis ripple out, these families will be hit hardest. They always are.
Low-income households are particularly at risk because of their economic instability and their concentration in service industry and other hourly jobs that have some of the highest risk of COVID-19 disruptions. Given that 100% of our homeowners have low incomes, nearly all are first-time homeowners. We have always worked to provide flexibility to homebuyers to ensure long-term success, but as COVID-19 increases the economic need for these families, it also causes us to lose funds that support our operations, including home builds and Habitat ReStore operations.
Habitat for Humanity of NW Indiana has launched the Homes, Communities, Hope + You campaign to ensure that we are able to continue our work in Lake County. As the economic shocks from this crisis ripple out, the need for affordable, safe and healthy housing is more apparent than ever.
This is where the “YOU” comes in. We cannot do our work without your help. Habitat is needed now more than ever. And now more than ever, we need you. Please consider a one-time or monthly gift to directly support:
- 12 families we are currently working with on their homeownership opportunities.
- 3 builds that have begun but were paused because of the pandemic.
- Our plan to build 3 more homes by the end of 2020. We need $330,000 to make those plans a reality.
Please make a one-time gift or a monthly campaign pledge by clicking the donate button below.