Skip to main content

Advocacy

Habitat for Humanity of Lee & Hendry Counties, Inc.

Anyone can be an advocate

We invite you to make difference in your community.

Advocacy

Changing policies and systems to eliminate barriers to adequate, affordable housing in order to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Learn how to become an advocate for Habitat for Humanity and affordable housing

Take Action

Simply click to take action and be an advocate!

01.

Sign our #CostOfHome petition to show your support for affordable homeownership

Take Action

What is Advocacy?

Habitat for Humanity describes advocacy as changing policies and systems to eliminate barriers to adequate, affordable housing in order to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Read More

Though not visible in the construction process, laws, regulations, and appropriations play a significant role in Habitat’s work. Smart policies can help lower production costs, increase available housing, and encourage private sector participation. Other policies can create unnecessary barriers for affordable housing development—often limiting the number of families Habitat can serve.

Advocacy is about influencing public policy, raising awareness, and putting an end to harmful misconceptions. All of which supports Habitat’s vision of creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Why Advocate?

Habitat for Humanity engages in advocacy because it’s essential to expanding the supply and preservation of affordable homes. With more than 52,000 households in Lee County spending over half their income on housing—Habitat alone cannot solve the problem.

Through advocacy, Habitat seeks to influence policy and promote affordability among the broader housing continuum. Thereby positively impacting the lives of all low to moderate-income earners.

Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties’ policy priorities

  • Impact Fees: Easing the burden of impact fees will keep Habitat homes affordable and encourage private sector development of affordable housing.
  • Expeditious Permitting: Supporting a quick and efficient permitting process that allows Habitat to serve the community’s needs without burdensome delays.
  • Zoning and Density: Improve local zoning and density ordinances to increase the supply of affordable and available homes.
  • Sadowski Trust Fund: Protecting the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund from the harmful sweeps that have diverted $2.3 billion away from Florida’s statewide affordable housing programs.
  • Tax Credit Programs: Advocating for increased tax credit allocations for the CCTCP program, which allows Habitat to partner with local businesses for new home construction projects.
  • Homestead Exemptions: Improving Florida’s homestead exemptions for low to moderate-income households. This combats gentrification by ensuring long-term community residents can remain in their homes as new investments arrive.

Want to learn more? Read our Affordable Housing Policy Suggestions for State Legislators and Candidates

  • Affordable Housing Task Force: Support the creation of an affordable housing task force to study and recommend policy-based solutions.
  • Housing and Urban Development: Increase funding for the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) and Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
  • USDA: Expand Section 502 Single-Family Direct Home Loans for low-income earners in rural communities.
  • Join HFHLH’s Advocacy Ambassador email list to receive legislative debriefings and calls to action.
  • Lead the conversation on social media. Follow, like, and share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use the #CostOfHome and #H4HLeeHendry to connect with us.
  • Speak with friends and family about your support of affordable housing and why it’s essential for a healthy community.
Sign Up!
1,600
FAMILIES SERVED SINCE 1984
4,000
INDIVIDUALS SERVED SINCE 1984
107,000
COST BURDENED HOMES IN LEE COUNTY

Together, We Build.

Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties has partnered with over 1,600 families to make homeownership a reality for nearly 4,000 individuals since being chartered in 1982. Though we are incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished so far—there are still 107,000 cost-burdened households in Lee County. A cost-burdened household spends 30% or more of total income on housing, often sacrificing spending on crucial necessities. For many of these families quality food, adequate healthcare, higher-education, and reliable transportation are out of reach due to excessive housing costs.

At Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties we know that when the cost of your home is your family’s future, the cost is too high.

Join us as we take a stand and declare our commitment to making cost of home something we all can afford. Start the conversation on social media using the hashtag #CostOfHome.

Sign up for our advocacy news!

Affordable Housing News

AdvocacyHomeowner StoryWomen Build
May 6, 2020

One Habitat Mom Shares How She Beat Cancer and is Pursuing a Degree During C-19

Amber working hard at her wall raising! Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many families in Southwest Florida struggled with housing instability. As rent and homeownership costs skyrocket, wages largely remain…
Habitat for Humanity
Love10
AdvocacyNews
April 20, 2020

Action Alert: Tell Congress to Support Housing Stability

Bold Action Required to Mitigate Exacerbated Housing Instability As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on the U.S. economy, the affordable housing crisis has been exacerbated substantially. With nearly 19 million…
Habitat for Humanity
Love9
AdvocacyNews
April 1, 2020

Affordable housing is key to building economic resilience

By Jake Burbach The median home price in Lee County has spiked nearly $100,000 in just ten years. Rent is due, and millions of American families struggling to afford their…
Habitat for Humanity
Love13