Our Impact
Homeownership is the key to empowering families to build brighter futures.
It is the critical foundation that families need to find a path to stability and self-reliance.
When a family has a safe, affordable place to call home, bigger things begin to happen — families frequently improve their health, educational attainment, safety, and prosperity. With a little help, Habitat homeowners are empowered to build a better future for themselves and their families for generations to come.
In Sumner County, TN, we see a community filled with welcoming neighbors, opportunities for employment and education, vibrant cultural experiences, and beautiful weather. However, many of our residents face significant challenges when it comes to finding affordable housing.
Why does homeownership matter in Sumner County?
Affordable housing for a family in Sumner County, earning 80% or less of the area's median income (about $79,850 for a family of four).
an apartment renting for $1,300 month
OR
a home priced under $225,000
There are very few, if any, opportunities for affordable homeownership in our region.
Too many families are forced to live in substandard conditions such as overcrowding, ignored maintenance requests by landlords, and myriad health and safety issues. Children end up sleeping in the living room with their siblings because their parents can’t afford a larger space. Drafty trailers and apartments are very expensive to keep warm. Children are often forced to switch schools several times a year because their rent increases beyond their parents’ paychecks, and they must move. Without stable housing, families are in a constant state of crisis.
The Proof
Academic research and surveys point to the conclusion that owning a home enhances quality of life in a variety of specific, verifiable ways.
Homeownership has long been recognized as a major social determinant of health. Poor ventilation, air pollution, and exposure to lead and mold are just some of the obvious ways that substandard housing can negatively impact health.
But the financial impact of housing can have ill-effects as well. According to the Corporation for Enterprise Development, cost-burdened households may prioritize housing bills over healthcare and nutrition, and are likelier to be living in unsafe conditions. They are also more likely to suffer from depression, prolonged periods of stress, hypertension, and heart disease.
Homeownership leads to better health.
Homeownership leads to greater educational achievements.
Children of homeowners are significantly more likely to stay in school until age 17 than children of renters, especially in low-income households, according to study in the Journal of Urban Economics.
Children in homeowning families outperform children in renting families in both math and reading achievement tests, according to a study by an Ohio State University economist.
The graduation rate for children of homeowners is 19 percent higher than for renters, and they are twice as likely to acquire some post-secondary education, according to a study in a journal published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Homeownership provides better security and safety.
Homeownership status can reduce a household’s incidence of crime. Homeowners have significantly less risk of being subject to violence at home.
Homeownership helps generate independence.
Homeownership leads to increased and continued stability. The median net wealth of homeowners earning limited incomes is dramatically higher than the median net wealth of renters earning the same, according to a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies.
A 2014 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston of homes with a student about to enter college found that a modest increase in home value for homeowners led to an increase in the child’s earnings later in life, while an increase in a property’s value for renters led to a decrease in the child’s earnings.
Beyond the house