Habitat for Humanity of St. Johns County

Industry: Nonprofit

Business Size: 5-10

Phone: (904) 826-3252

Address:
7 Hopkins Street
Saint Augustine, FL 32084

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About Habitat for Humanity of St. Johns CountyHabitat for Humanity of St. Johns County (Habitat St. Johns) is a nonprofit housing organization that expands affordable homeownership opportunities for local families and workforce households. We develop and build quality, affordable single-family homes and sell them to qualified buyers. We also provide homebuyer education, financial preparedness support, and connections to affordable mortgage and down payment assistance resources. Through community partnerships, Habitat St. Johns helps families build stability and generational wealth through homeownership.

What differentiates you from the competition?Habitat St. Johns fills a unique gap in the local housing market. While other builders offer entry-level homes, we are currently the only builder consistently producing new single-family homes priced below $300,000 in St. Johns County. Comparable new homes from smaller builders typically begin around $330,000 or higher. Our homes also include many features buyers expect in traditionally priced new construction, while our homebuyer program provides education and access to financing and down payment assistance resources. This combination allows us to provide a path to homeownership for working families who are increasingly priced out of the traditional market.

What are your top selling services or products that your company offers?Habitat St. Johns provides high-quality, newly constructed single-family homes at prices below $300,000, a price point virtually unavailable in St. Johns County. Our homes feature modern finishes and new appliances. We also provide homebuyer education and help connect buyers with affordable financing and down payment resources, creating a unique path to attainable homeownership.

If you had one message to get across to future customers, what would it be?Homeownership may be more attainable—and even more affordable—than you think. In some cases, a monthly mortgage payment can be less than rent, while also allowing you to build equity and create an asset for your future. Habitat St. Johns can help you explore whether homeownership is within your reach.

What is the biggest marketing challenge that you will face in the upcoming year?Our biggest marketing challenge will be changing the perception of who Habitat St. Johns serves. Many people still associate Habitat primarily with housing for very low-income families, while our work has evolved to address the growing need for workforce homeownership in St. Johns County. We need to reach teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, hospitality employees, young professionals, and other working households who may not realize they qualify to purchase a Habitat home. At the same time, we must clearly communicate that our homes are high-quality, newly constructed homes offered at attainable prices, while maintaining the strength and trust of the Habitat brand.

What is the biggest operational challenge that you will face in the upcoming year? Our biggest operational challenge is home sales. We need to connect with working individuals and families who may not realize that Habitat St. Johns is an option for them. Increasing awareness, reaching qualified buyers, and helping people understand that affordable homeownership may be within their reach will be critical to keeping pace with our growing home production.

What is the core mission of your organization? Mission Statement – Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
Vision – A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

How do you measure impact and success in your programs? We measure impact by the number of families and individuals who achieve affordable homeownership and the long-term stability it creates. Key measures include homes built and sold, families served, affordability, and successful closings. Beyond the numbers, success means helping homeowners build equity, financial stability, and an asset that can benefit their families for generations.

What are your biggest fundraising or outreach challenges? One of our biggest fundraising challenges is that Habitat affiliates are responsible for raising funds locally to support their work. Many people think if they send a donation to Habitat for Humanity International, that we receive the donation locally. While we receive a small percentage of donations made directly to Habitat for Humanity International, the majority of our funding must be generated within our community. In addition, Habitat St. Johns tithes a portion of our locally raised funds to support Habitat’s global mission.

How do you build long-term relationships with donors and supporters? We build long-term relationships by keeping donors and supporters connected to the impact of their investment. We invite them to volunteer, attend home dedications, meet homeowners, and see firsthand the communities they are helping build. We also prioritize ongoing communication, recognition, and stewardship so our supporters understand that they are partners in our mission, not simply donors.

What trends are influencing the nonprofit world today? Several trends are shaping the nonprofit sector, including increased competition for funding, rising operating costs, and greater expectations for measurable impact and transparency. Donors increasingly want to see tangible results from their investment and have meaningful connections to the organizations they support. Nonprofits are also becoming more entrepreneurial, developing earned-revenue strategies, building business partnerships, and using technology and digital marketing to reach new audiences.

Can you share a story that shows your mission in action? Lily grew up in St. Augustine and wanted to build her life here, but rising rents made that increasingly difficult. In five years, she moved seven times and at one point paid $1,000 a month to share a small apartment without a washer, dryer, or even a full stove. She initially did not qualify for a Habitat home, but after changing jobs, she reapplied and became a homeowner. Her monthly housing cost is comparable to what she was paying in rent, but now she has a brand-new home, stability, and an asset of her own. Lily says the biggest thing she looks forward to is simply “not moving.” Even more importantly, stable housing allows her to remain in St. Johns County and continue serving local families through her work. Her story is exactly what our mission is about: homeownership creating stability that extends beyond one household and strengthens the community.

What keeps you motivated in this work? What keeps me motivated is seeing the stability that homeownership can bring to a family. Many of the people we serve come to us from stressful, and sometimes desperate, housing situations, often paying too much for a rental. Watching that stress turn into security is incredibly rewarding, especially when children are involved. Knowing that a safe, stable home can change the trajectory of a family and give children a stronger foundation for their future makes this work deeply meaningful to me.

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