1. Access to decent, affordable hous-
ing is the foundation for breaking
the cycle of poverty in our
communities. Since our beginning
in 1997, Habitat for Humanity of
Winchester-Frederick County
(HFHWFC) has built or rehabilitat-
ed area homes for over 200
deserving families–men, women
and children who otherwise could
not experience homeownership. In
addition to our traditional
Homebuyer Program, we achieved
a milestone in 2013 and 2014 by
purchasing eleven rental proper-
ties which will be converted to homes for Family Partners over the
next three to five years. In the meantime, renters are not being
displaced as some ultimately will qualify to become owners of their
homes. During the same period, we launched our neighborhood
revitalization activities on the north end of Winchester, collaborating
with the North End Citizens’ Association (NECA), area residents, and
other community partners to implement our North End Visioning
Project.
Looking forward, we will continue:
To build on this grassroots effort
which lifts and transforms Habitat’s
Family Partners and boosts the
social and economic stability of our
greater community.
To focus on our demanding three-year construction schedule to
transform our properties into modest affordable homes for our
Family Partners.
To progress in achieving even greater neighborhood revitaliza-
tion for years to come by capitalizing on the financial support of
our partners. For every dollar invested by the public in our
affiliate, almost $1.70 in economic benefits is returned to our
community.
Taking the information culled from our 2013 Economic Impact
Analysis, we will continue to inject around 8 million dollars into
the local economy every seven years.
In Our Community
Key Community Supporters
Government Support
Our success would not
be possible without the
investment of govern-
ment funding in afforda-
ble housing. Government grants are often
our first source of funding from which we
leverage our activities. We have received
assistance and funding from the following
government agencies and programs:
City of Winchester
County of Frederick
Virginia Housing Development
Authority (VHDA)
Virginia Department of Housing &
Community Development (VHCD)
HOME
Community Development Block
Grant
Self-help Homeownership
Opportunity Program (SHOP)
Neighborhood Stabilization
Program (NSP I & II)
Community Housing Development
Organization (CHDO)
Over 900 volunteer hours are need-
ed to complete a Habitat home.
Between 2006-2012, volunteers con-
tributed a total of 51,513 labor
hours to HFHWFC projects.
Habitat for Humanity of Winchester-
Frederick County would not be able to
serve families at its current rate without the
generous support of community partners,
including:
Mr. Gerald F. Smith, Jr.
Newell Rubbermaid
Wells Fargo Foundation
Valley Proteins
Premium Distributors
City National Bank
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
First Bank of Virginia
Blues House Music Festival
2. 17 Years of Helping the Community
Since 1998, over 58 homes have been completed and over 70 adults
have become homeowners and real estate tax payers in Winchester-
Frederick County through the
mobilization efforts of our com-
munity. 82% of our homeowners
say they have made educational
achievements since having a
permanent home and 65% state
that they feel financially better off
than they were five years ago.
These statistics are a testament to
the fact that our program works.
We help end the cycle of poverty
by helping families and individuals
become self-sufficient. During the
next five to seven years with the help of federal, state and local sup-
port, we hope to increase dramatically our capacity help the commu-
nity block by block, not just home by home.
In 2013, almost 24%
of residents in Winchester,
Virginia were living at or below
the federal poverty level while
only 11% of Virginians were
classified as living in poverty.
These individuals are paying
over 2/3 of their monthly
income on housing.
Green, Sustainable Building
HFHWFC strives to
model ecologically
sound construction
practices. Since 2010,
we have been com-
mitted to building green
and sustainable struc-
tures to help low-
income homeowners
lower their utility pay-
ments and maintenance cost while produc-
ing more effi cient and sustainable homes
that are better for the environment. Our
construction and rehabilitations follow
EarthCraft green building standards. As a
certified EarthCraft builder, our homes are
more affordable, healthier, comfortable,
and are less impactful on the environment
than traditional structures. EarthCraft
homes are sealed to prevent hot and cold
air leaks, and outfitted with energy-
efficient lighting and appliances. It also
addresses occupant health by requiring
every building it certifies to focus on
indoor air quality.
The upfront expense of in-
vesting in EarthCraft Certifi-
cation is justified because it
provides quality and durabil-
ity, as well as energy and water savings
for our homeowners. By saving money on
energy bills from day one, the initial
$3500 investment is paid off in less than
5 years.
Building Communities, Block by Block
Habitat for Humanity of Winchester-Frederick County (HFHWFC)
is expanding its new construction program with the recent acqui-
sition and rehabilitation of 11 City
Lights rental properties in Winches-
ter’s North End, with six more acquisi-
tions pending and another six targeted
over the next two years. The integra-
tion of these 22 City Lights properties
into HFHWFC’s five-year construction
and rehabilitation plan in Winches-
ter’s North End complements Habitat’s
global mission and enables HFHWFC
to achieve critical mass at the local level with a total of nine
homes slated for completion through 2016 in a four-block radius.
The integration of these City Lights properties is part of HFHWFC’s
effort to create a more responsive and agile pathway to decent,
affordable housing in the North End, an area that has yet to share
in the benefits of our nation’s economic recovery. HFHWFC’s new
vision for neighborhood revitalization encompasses both City
Lights properties and new construction. It represents a noble and
philanthropic reshaping of the former City Lights Project to create
a new map for transforming economically challenged neighbor-
hoods in Winchester’s North End into neighborhoods of oppor-
tunity. The properties will then transition to the customary mod-
el of HFHWFC homeowner properties as those tenants who are
able and desire to do so qualify to enter Habitat’s homebuyer
program.
443 West Lane: This 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath open
floor plan home is EarthCraft certified. It is tempo-
rarily being used as a transition home for families
moving from CLP to homeownership.
Office: 145 Baker St. | Winchester, VA 22601
Mail: PO Box 1653 | Winchester, VA 22604
Ph: 540.662.7066 | Fax: 540.450.0360
info@habitatwfc.org | www.habitatwfc.org
HFHWFC has added
$2.8 million to
property values in the
Winchester-Frederick
County and generates
approximately
$35,000.00
in real estate tax
revenue annually.