Adjust Ban Book Bookmark Calendar Car Church Checked Circle Outlined Clock Close Coffee Equal Housing Opportunity Exclamation Facebook Female Flag Gift Globe Graduation Grid Hammer Hand Heart Habitat for Humanity Charlotte Habitat for Humanity Charlotte - Julia's Cafe & Books Habitat for Humanity Restore Charlotte Habitat for Humanity - Young Professionals House Instagram Leaf Line Chart LinkedIn Habitat for Humanity Restore Megaphone Menu Mobile Pencil Recycle Search Star Suitcase Tags Twitter Users Wrench YouTube Envelope

stronger together

At Habitat of York County, we know that a family should never have to spend more than 30 percent of their income on a home. But consider that today nearly 19 million U.S. households pay half or more of their income on a place to live.

That is unacceptable.

That means that 1 in 6 families are denied the personal and economic stability that safe, decent and affordable housing provides. Instead, 1 in 6 families are forced to make impossible choices.

Safe homes. Nutritious food on the table. Health care. Access to good schools. Reliable transportation. Which would you choose?

We have to take a stand and declare our commitment: Habitat of York County will work to ensure that no family has to pay more than half of their paycheck to cover the cost of home.

Everyone deserves to build the foundation for a strong, healthy future for themselves and their families — no matter where they live or how much money they earn.

Help us make that possible. Help us make the #CostOfHome something we all can afford.

areas of focus

EXPANDING RESOURCES FOR AFFORDABLE HOME PRODUCTION

Many areas across the U.S. are facing shortages of adequate homes, particularly ones affordable to those earning modest incomes. We support advocacy for policies that enable the production and preservation of homes affordable to lower income households.

INCREASING INCLUSIVE ACCESS TO CREDIT

Mortgage credit is difficult, if not impossible, for many households to access, and minority and lower income applicants often have access to no types of credit at all. We support advocacy for policies that increase and broaden access to credit for underserved populations.

ENABLING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO LAND

Land is often among the greatest costs encountered in developing homes, whether for rental or for ownership. We support advocacy for policies that empower residents to guide local development and land use decisions to ensure they fully reflect community needs, particularly for populations who have been discriminated against in the past.

DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES OF OPPORTUNITY

A home isn’t just a building. It includes the community and resources in which you live, work and grow. For families to achieve long-term success and stability, homes must be both well-constructed and built in an area with sufficient access to transportation, jobs, education, food, medical care, and other critical products and services. We support advocacy for policies that allow neighborhoods and communities to thrive.

homestead exemptions

Faced with rising costs of living on fixed incomes, many citizens struggle to make ends meet while they age in their homes. For many people, rising property tax bills lead to tough choices:

  • Should I pay my taxes or pay for my medicine?
  • If I move, where can I afford to move to?
  • How far away from the life I know will I have to go to be able to afford to live?

Homestead Exemptions help low-income homeowners manage increases in their property taxes.  Habitat of York County is leading the charge on Homestead Exemption reform to make these exemptions more effective in preserving homeownership across the state.

stay informed

Become an Advocacy Ambassador by signing up for future advocacy email alerts.

Get Advocacy Updates & Alerts

advocacy questions?

Contact Tim Veeck at tveeck@yorkcountyhabitat.org or 803-985-9241.