Impact

---

Housing insecurity touches nearly half of adults at some point in their lives. A majority of Americans believe that it is challenging to find affordable quality housing in their communities. More than half of all adults say they have made at least one trade-off in order to cover their rent or mortgage. Such trade-offs may include taking second jobs, cutting back on healthcare and healthy food, and moving to less safe neighborhoods. Lacking affordable, quality housing negatively impacts families and communities.

We believe that decent shelter is something we all need to thrive, and that strong and stable homes build strong and stable communities. In fact, according to a study by Harvard University, children of homeowners have better home environments, higher academic test scores, and fewer behavior problems than do children of renters. Owning a home compared with renting leads to a 13% to 23% higher quality home environment.

 An affordable home from Griffin Area Habitat for Humanity (GAHFH) will reduce a typical family's housing expenses from more than 40% of their monthly income to an affordable 18%, leaving an average of $500 monthly savings to reinvest in their family's needs and in the community. In addition, financial education builds a more solid foundation for long-term personal success and helps alleviate concerns or barriers on the path to homeownership. Indeed, the 1.5% foreclosure rate on GAHFH homes is far lower than the 2.67% national mortgage default rate.