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HABITAT DEDICATES FIRST HOME UNDER NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROGRAMCelebrates World Habitat Day with rehabilitation of foreclosed home for local working family as part of new Habitat programREDWOOD CITY, Calif., October 5, 2009 -- In celebration of World Habitat Day, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco dedicated the first completed home under its new foreclosure acquisition initiative, known as the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). While hundreds of families continue to lose their homes to foreclosure in local communities, their misfortune made obvious by the blight and disarray left behind, the NRP is quickly making a difference in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park. The completed home on Market Place is the first of four bank-owned homes in Menlo Park acquired under the NRP, launched in May of this year, enabling new affordable homeownership opportunities for local working families. Families who were on the city's below market rate (BMR) housing list were selected for the Habitat program. They can purchase the NRP homes after helping with the reconstruction work as part of the standard sweat equity requirement of the Habitat program. Houses are sold to partner families at no profit and are financed with affordable, zero interest mortgages. Under the NRP, Habitat acquires and rehabilitates blighted bank-owned homes in neighborhoods hard-hit by the foreclosure crisis, enabling new affordable homeownership opportunities for local working families. Tracie, a mother of two teenage sons, cut the ribbon in front of her home to begin a new life there after completing 500 hours of sweat equity working on the home along-side hundreds of community volunteers. "As a young woman, my life plan was to raise a healthy family and live happily ever after. Things didn't go quite that way; "real" life happened, including hard times, disappointments, struggles, and fear," said homeowner Tracie VanHook, speaking at the dedication. "[My sons] were the motivation for most of my decisions so that I could raise them in a safe environment... I'm excited to say to you welcome to the VanHook residence, welcome to our home." In 1985, the United Nations declared the first Monday in October to be "World Habitat Day" in recognition of the vast need for decent housing in cities around the world. In the United States, the number of families that lack safe and affordable housing is related to the number of children that suffer from asthma, viral infections, anemia, stunted growth and other health problems. About 21,000 children have stunted growth attributable to the lack of stable housing; 10,000 children between the ages of four and nine are hospitalized for asthma attacks each year because of cockroach infestation at home; and more than 180 children die each year in house fires attributable to faulty electrical heating and electrical equipment. In honor of World Habitat Day, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco is giving one more family the opportunity for a better future through the NRP and Habitat's homeownership program. Habitat plans to acquire at least 15 foreclosed homes over the next two years. Its partnerships with the city of Menlo Park and Menlo Park Presbyterian Church helped establish the pilot phase of the NRP. In July, San Mateo County, together with Habitat and other community partners, applied for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD's) Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2. If approved, NSP2 funds will enable Habitat to expand the NRP program into other distressed neighborhoods of San Mateo County, possibly including East Palo Alto, Daly City, and others. About Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco
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