Homeowners Donate House back to Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity

Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity has been the recipient of extraordinary generosity since it first opened its doors in 1990. Large tracts of land have been donated on which eighty houses have been built. First the land for New Hope Village in Bluffton was donated by a paper company. Next the land for Brendan Woods in Bluffton was donated by a local real estate developer, followed by the donation of land for the New Ridge community in Ridgeland by a Jasper County developer. Late in 2007, over 160 acres in Hardeeville were donated by a generous local donor. Recently, Beaufort County officials worked diligently with a local developer to provide finished lots for Habitat within the community it plans to build. The Town of Bluffton and Jasper County have applied for and received Community Development Block Grants for Habitat neighborhoods which built roads and installed infrastructure, which helps keep the price of Habitat houses affordable.

The generosity hasn’t been limited to land donations and grants. Thousands of local residents have joined together to hammer, paint walls, landscape, donate to the Restores and write checks to show their support of Habitat’s mission of eliminating substandard housing wherever it exists in the Lowcountry.

Now, in perhaps what might be considered a most unexpected way, Habitat is the beneficiary of even more remarkable generosity. Leeanne and Chad Ery, owners of a Habitat for Humanity house in Bluffton, have deeded their house, which was funded and built by the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Association of Realtors, back to Habitat for another’s family use. Through a great deal of hard work on the Ery’s part and many blessings, the family has purchased a bigger house for their growing family. Because they know firsthand the difference owning a simple, decent place to live can make in a family’s life, they decided to give their house back to Habitat so it can be made ready for another family.

“The Ery’s decision to deed their house back to Habitat after having lived in it for six years is an example of the Habitat philosophy working at its best,” said Patricia Carey Wirth, Executive Director of Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity. “Habitat believes in offering people a hand up, not a hand out. The Ery’s took that hand, worked hard and now are offering their hand to another family in need.”

This extraordinary example of belief in the mission of Habitat for Humanity shows that it is not necessary to be a very wealthy person to make a difference in another person’s life. It is possible for anyone to change someone’s life. A simple donation to Habitat for Humanity can do it.

Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent houses at zero percentage profit and sells them to approved buyers, who then make monthly mortgage payments with 0% interest to Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity. Those payments are then put into a revolving fund used to build more houses. Homeowners also pay property taxes on their homes, creating new tax revenue for Beaufort County.

The support of the entire Hilton Head/Bluffton community is invaluable to the success of Habitat as it offers a hand up, not a hand out to deserving, hardworking people in southern Beaufort County and Jasper County.

Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1990 as an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International and is a nonprofit organization seeking to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. The purpose of Habitat is to make decent housing a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all walks of life to work together in partnership to help build houses with families in need. Locally, Habitat has built eighty houses. On a global level, Habitat has provided over 1,000,000 people with safe, decent affordable shelter by building over 300,000 homes. Houses are built through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials. Habitat builds simple houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable no-interest loans.

For more information about how you can help Habitat for Humanity make decent housing a matter of conscience and action, please call 757-5864.