This story is part of a series on 1st Source Foundation’s grant program. Learn more about the program and the impact it has on communities across Northern Indiana here.
The need for affordable housing is greater than ever in Porter County. As material and land prices continue to increase, the financial barrier to homeownership becomes harder to overcome, especially for families experiencing poverty. Habitat for Humanity of Porter County has been active in the Porter County area since 1994 providing affordable housing options to those in need.
The nonprofit takes a holistic approach to addressing the housing needs of those it serves. On one side is the actual construction of new homes, which requires time, material, and labor. Habitat Porter County helps future residents develop their homeownership skills before their home is even complete through sweat equity hours.
“If the homeowner is physically able to do building, they contribute 250 sweat equity hours manually building their home,” Board Vice President Samantha Fisher said. “When you're a part of something, you understand it more because you're in the thick of it. When you help manually build your home, you gain an idea of what things cost and are then able to recognize if something seems off.”
On top of being a part of the construction of their future home, those receiving assistance from Habitat Porter County are required to pass financial literacy courses, developing the skills needed to maintain the home after it’s built.
“We're trying to move the needle on generational poverty,” Fisher said. “Unfortunately, it's a cycle, and if individuals don't know how to manage their income, they're going to be back in that cycle, even with access to an affordable mortgage. We require financial literacy training to build sustainable habits and homeownership skills.”
Providing resources, support, and education to new homeowners can come at a significant cost.
“The challenge with our mission is that we're coming up against a lot of growth, and some of that growth is not positive,” Fisher said. “When the cost of material and land both increase at a rate that makes it hard to not only build, but to find the properties to build on, that becomes really challenging. We have to get very creative in what we can construct because we have to not only be able to house the family, but we have to have it in a way where they can afford the home long-term.”
To help offset growing costs, Habitat Porter County turns to its community partners, including 1st Source Bank and 1st Source Foundation. Recently, Habitat Porter County was awarded a $25,000 grant from 1st Source Foundation for its builds in Porter County, but the relationship goes deeper than a monetary amount.
“1st Source Bank and 1st Source Foundation are fantastic partners. We’ve been working with them for years,” Fisher said. “The Bank employees show a strong support of our mission and have even taken time to volunteer to help us construct homes.”
On top of 1st Source Bank employees volunteering during construction, Habitat Porter County has also made use of their financial expertise to navigate the monetary challenges all nonprofits face.
“1st Source Foundation is happy to support Habitat Porter County with this grant,” said Matt Vessely, West Region President at 1st Source Bank. “The way that they surround their families with necessary life skills on top of meeting their physical housing needs greatly benefits our community.”
While the costs associated with its mission have continued to rise, support for Habitat Porter County is also reaching an all-time high as more businesses and individuals invest their time.
“We're one of the best kept secrets in Porter County. Habitat homes usually lift the average value of the block they’re built on because you're adding a new construction home. We’re an asset, but knowing that and contributing to that is different,” Fisher said. “We’re trying to create more outlets for the community to engage with us. We are getting more supporters, and a lot of that is this intentional effort to connect with the community.”
For those looking to help support Habitat Porter County’s mission, Fisher recommends visiting the nonprofit’s website to discover the best ways to give. Whether it’s monetary donations or time donations, every bit helps Habitat Porter County continue developing homes for its community.
“Relationships like the one we have with 1st Source are what we need,” Fisher said. “Look at leaders like 1st Source Bank that see the value that we add to the community, that donate their skills and time to strategically level up our mission, that encourage their teams to volunteer, that do literal team building together. That can be replicated, but you need models like this to look up to, and we're just very appreciative of their support.”1st Source Foundation helps fund local projects making a significant impact on their community. Those interested in applying for a grant should visit 1st Source Foundation’s page to learn about eligibility, application requirements, and more.
