The Harvest Foundation announced Monday plans to donate $200,000 over three years to the Fuller Center for Housing of Martinsville-Henry County for the construction of two new houses.
The donation will support the Home Builds and Repairs initiative, which addresses the area’s affordable housing shortage.
The Fuller Center for Housing began as a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in 1988 and has since built over 40 homes in the community, according to the organization’s website.
“Access to safe, affordable housing is a foundation for a thriving community,” said DeWitt House, vice president of community investments at The Harvest Foundation, in a release. “Investing in home ownership creates pathways for families to build generational wealth and envision a brighter future. Harvest’s partnership with Fuller Center further advances our mission for Martinsville and Henry County to be a community where everyone can thrive, and where families have the security to focus on education, health, and opportunity.”
According to the West Piedmont Planning District Commission’s (WPPDC) 2024 Housing Study, Martinsville has one of the oldest housing stocks in the region, with nearly half of the city’s housing units dating back to before 1960. The age of housing in Henry County is distributed relatively consistently between units built before 1959 and those built between 1959 and 2000, with a notable drop after 2000.
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The Fuller Center plans to construct several new homes for local families and provide critical home repairs to at least five low-income homeowners per year, until the allotted funds are exhausted. The program offers families an opportunity to escape substandard housing and achieve stability through homeownership or home preservation efforts, according to the release.
The Greater Blessing Program is designed to help limited-income homeowners, often aging adults or people living with a disability, complete urgent repairs that may otherwise go unaddressed. The program is based on the principle of community reciprocity. While there are no formal loan documents, participants are contracted to repay costs over time, at an affordable rate. Those funds are then reinvested to help other families.
The Fuller Center also offers affordable homeownership with 0% interest, nonprofit mortgages, resulting in monthly payments that are significantly lower than the average rent in the area. With the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimating the fair market rent for a three-bedroom home in the region at over $1,000, the center’s lower-than-average mortgage payments open new pathways to economic security for working families.
“The Fuller Center for Housing is grateful for the Harvest Foundation’s commitment to Martinsville-Henry County and for their efforts to address the critical needs of those in our community,” said Beth Stinnett, executive director of the Fuller Center for Housing of MHC, in the release. “Affordable housing is a pressing issue nationwide and can be especially crippling in small, rural communities such as ours. With the support of The Harvest Foundation, we can offer more families the stability of homeownership and positively impact the trajectory of the futures of those families.”
Construction on the new home in Martinsville is set to begin this year, and The Fuller Center encourages community members, volunteers, and local businesses to get involved.
“Partnering with The Harvest Foundation and The Fuller Center is vital to our mission of providing safe and affordable housing,” said Sean Campbell, deputy director of the WPPDC, in the release. “Together, we are committed to creating sustainable solutions that enhance the quality of life for our residents and strengthen our community. We look forward to working with partners on future projects that will further benefit our region.”
Bill Wyatt (276) 591-7543
bill.wyatt@martinsvillebulletin.com
@billdwyatt on Twitter
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