Mission: Habitat for Humanity of Tulare/Kings Counties seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Our vision is that everyone in the world should have a decent and affordable place to live.
More than 40% of Tulare and Kings Counties families are considered “cost-burdened” when it comes to housing. This means that they are paying around 50% of the household income on rent. The need for affordable housing is great but because of the continued support of businesses, congregations, service organizations, and individuals, Habitat for Humanity is able to make a difference in our community. The work continues…
History
Founded in 1994, Habitat for Humanity of Visalia started as a volunteer organization focused on the vision that everyone will have a decent and affordable place to live. The founding board members set out to build their first Habitat home in Visalia and did most of the building, fundraising, and daily business for the affiliate. The first home was completed in December of 1995.
Starting in the summer of 2003, Habitat increased its service area to include all of Tulare County, changing its name to “Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County”.
The First ReStore, building materials thrift store, opened in 2004 in Visalia. It takes in donations of usable building materials and supplies, and sell them to the general public to help fund Habitat’s mission.
Habitat purchased a 11,000 sq feet of warehouse space at 637 S Lovers Lane in 2011, with the vision that the Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore could become a sustainable source of income for the affiliate and its building programs. Since it’s opening on Lovers Lane, the store has seen a steady increase in donations and customers.
With the growing need to serve more people in the community, the Board of Directors voted to go through the necessary steps to add Kings County to the affiliate’s service area. In April of 2016, we officially became Habitat for Humanity of Tulare/Kings Counties.
A second ReStore was opened in the summer of 2018 at 415 W Lacey Blvd., Hanford to serve Kings County and help raise funds for home-ownership and home repair projects.
We continue to work with hard-working local families to help provide first-time homeownership opportunities, and give them the chance to build strength, stability and self-reliance. Offering a hand-up, not a hand-out, provides life-long change for their family and the entire community.
HOME OWNERSHIP
People in our community and all over the world partner with Habitat to build or improve a place they can call home. These are hard-working, low-income families with, steady income and good credit that only need a hand up, not a hand-out, to help them on the path to strength, stability, and self-reliance. Habitat homeowners build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable, zero-interest mortgage back to Habitat for Humanity of Tulare/Kings Counties. With our help, those homeowners achieve the independence they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.
HOME REPAIR
Habitat works with low-income homeowners who already own their homes but are challenged by age, disability, or circumstance and need help with overwhelming and costly home repairs.
RESTORE
Habitat for Humanity’s Visalia and Hanford ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell quality new and gently-used home furniture, appliances, and building materials to the public at discounted prices.
Proceeds from the ReStores in Visalia and Hanford help fund the construction of affordable Habitat homes. When you shop, donate, or volunteer, YOU are helping hardworking limited-income families in Tulare and Kings Counties build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable home ownership.
Great for you
Habitat for Humanity of Tulare/Kings Counties works in partnership with volunteers, and donors to achieve our mission. Our partners include corporations, churches, foundations, organizations, and individual donors from our community who contribute money, labor, and materials to fund projects in Tulare/Kings Counties.
You can get involved with Habitat for Humanity in Tulare and Kings Counties by sponsoring a Habitat build, volunteering at a job-site or the ReStore, attending our events, or donating directly to Habitat projects.
Encourage your friends and family to give what they can to help Habitat build homes for hard-working, low-income families. Together we can build homes, communities, and hope.
EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS! DONATE TODAY!
Habitat for Humanity and its affiliate organizations will not proselytize. Nor will Habitat work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with Habitat. This means that Habitat will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must adhere to or convert to a particular faith or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.
