2024 By The Numbers

2024 was an inflection point for Skagit Habitat for humanity. We put forth a challenge and the community responded, allowing us to grow our impact on affordable homeownership in Skagit County. We ramped up our ability to serve our mission of building homes, community, and hope due to the hard work and generosity of our community. We accelerated in 2024 because we saw that they need had accelerated.  HUD data show that the cost to rent a 2 bedroom apartment in Skagit County has increased by 68% since 2019, the greatest increase in the state of Washington. This is why our community is coming together to help their neighbors through Skagit Habitat for Humanity.

 

4 Homes for 4 Hard-working Families in Mount Vernon

2024 was a year in which we put a new model to use, scaling our impact from the 1.5 homes per year we’ve averaged for 30 years, up to 4 home dedications by the end of summertime. With our eyes on a goal of 15 homes/year by 2027, these 4 homes were the first step to proving we could grow exponentially to meet the rising need of our neighbors. Our homebuyer families rolled up their sleeves and put in the sweat equity to help build these homes alongside our construction team, partnered subcontractors, and of course our community of volunteers.

Our Homebuyer Program is not easy. It takes a lot of work and resources from the organization, the community, and the homebuyers themselves. But the results speak for themselves. It’s a life-changing experience for our homebuyers who get the stability of knowing that they will be paying no more than 33% of their income on a mortgage instead of dreading annual rent hikes while watching the housing market get more and more out of hand. These 4 homebuyer families have laid a foundation for generations to come that will create positive ripples through our community.

Critical Home Repairs Program Returns

Through the generosity of two  organizations, Marathon and Jerry H Walton Foundation, the care and hard-work of our Program Manager, Eshel Clayton, and the knowledge and experience of our volunteer Habitat Helpers team, we were able to bring back our Critical Home Repairs Program helping to 2 household’s stay in affordable homeownership by making sure their home got back to being safe and functional for their needs.

The Critical Home Repairs Program is meant to repair homes in need of accessibility ramps, stair and handrail repairs, and other fixes that allow homeowners to keep their home in a condition that works for them. We are so happy to have revived this program and look forward to growing it going into 2025 as we know there is a need in our community. Take a look at our Critical Home Repairs page for more information or to apply https://www.skagithabitat.com/what-we-do/critical-repairs-program/

 

Powered by Community

When I say “we” I don’t just mean this organization, I mean you and me and all of us involved. That’s because in 2024 Skagit Habitat had help from 110 volunteers who committed 3,448 hours of their time to our mission. We also received monetary contributions from 221 individuals, 21 businesses, and 20 monthly supporters in our Hope Builders program. It takes us all to affect real change in our local housing market. Working together as a community we can commit to changing lives through affordable homeownership leading to better outcomes in the local economy as well as in education and community health and safety.

               

A Store that Does More

Our Habitat Store has played a vital role in what we do in the community. The store diverted 581 tons of waste from landfills, taking your furniture and building materials and finding new homes for them at affordable prices. The store is the hub for many volunteers and community-serving internships. Many of our own community members have been given a chance to excel through the work programs and consistent volunteer opportunities the store provides. It also provided steady cash flow to allow us to serve our mission, bringing in $894k by serving nearly 29k customers. This helps us keep the lights on and the bills paid as donation and grant cycles are often sporadic. We rely on the store. So make sure to donate, shop, and volunteer there whenever you get the chance.

 

Cheers To 2024 and Bring on More in 2025!

2024 was a blast. There were lots of happy tears, hugs, and handshakes, but it’s just the beginning of the new Skagit Habitat for Humanity. This community has allowed us to grow our impact and we will continue to do so. 2025 will see us 3x our home building again and we can’t wait to build up Skagit County together alongside all of you. Stay tuned for what’s coming ahead in 2025! Happy New Year!