Stories from the Field: Our Strategic Plan in Action

Our Build Forward Together strategic plan is more than words on paper—it’s a bold vision for a vibrant, equitable Twin Cities community. This ambitious plan focuses on expanding homeownership and advancing racial equity, which is made possible by the strong foundation of our Habitat community. 

We’re three years into this plan and it’s really working: 

• We’ve reached a new level of success in our homeownership program—with a record 139 new homeowners last year alone, compared to an average of less than 100 before the plan.  

• Our Advancing Black Homeownership program has seen tremendous success in its first two years—engaging more than 100 clients through coaching and classes, and helping more than 60 households achieve homeownership.  

• Our historic development at The Heights is off to a great start with 30 homes in progress, toward an eventual 147 units over the next four years. 

• And we had a record-breaking year in terms of fundraising, community engagement, and sales at our ReStore Home Improvement Outlets. 

Our staff and leaders engage the community to carry out this bold plan every day. And the success stories are remarkable.  

Our recent Stories from the Field virtual town hall featured staff members from across the organization sharing powerful stories of sustainability innovations, progress in advancing racial equity in housing, and community collaboration and engagement. Speakers included: 

• Mike Robertson, Decarbonization and Sustainability Lead, sharing about our sustainability efforts at The Heights and elsewhere 

• Portia Jackson, Director of Programs and Services, speaking about the success of our Advancing Black Homeownership program 

• Anne Elliott-Thul and Jenny Sanford, celebrating the first year of our Volunteer & Learn program to engage Habitat homeowners 

Hundreds of supporters tuned in for our Town Hall, showing how much this plan is resonating in the community. Missed it? No problem! Check out the event recording here and read more below. 

Sustainable homebuilding at The Heights and beyond 

Mike Robertson, our Decarbonization and Sustainability Lead, provided an in-depth look at our sustainable building practices. Sustainability has long been a priority for home construction. Over the years we’ve built dozens of LEED Certified homes and we are the #1 builder of Energy Star rated homes in the Twin Cities. We’ve certified over 80 Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready homes and have committed to making all of our homes reach this standard going forward.  

While all our newly built homes have a tight building envelope and high energy ratings, our homes at The Heights go above and beyond. The Heights is a new development in the northeast corner of St. Paul on the site of the former Hillcrest Golf Course. This development will be all-electric and include more than 1,000 units of housing from multiple developers, including 147 owner-occupied Habitat homes. 

The Heights gives Twin Cities Habitat a unique opportunity to build affordable, highly efficient, durable homes at scale. Features include: 

• Rooftop solar  

• An off-set roof peak to maximize the south-facing area and increase capacity for roof-top solar generation 

• Highly efficient windows 

• Cold-climate air source heat pumps for heating, cooling, and water heating 

• Energy Star electric appliances 

• EV charging in the garage  

• Airtight building envelope with balanced ventilation 

• Additional insulation  

• Laminate flooring made from recycled waste 

These features lead to a lower carbon footprint, improved indoor air quality, and lower utility bills for homeowners. Green building is a win for everyone!  

Two years of the Advancing Black Homeownership program 

Portia Jackson, Director of Programs and Services, highlighted the Advancing Black Homeownership program, which we launched two years ago. This program aims to address racial disparities in homeownership, specifically for Foundational Black households (Black households who trace their roots to slavery in the U.S.). 

Through targeted one-on-one coaching, adjusted underwriting criteria, and additional financial support, this program has helped more than 60 families achieve homeownership.  

Participants in the Advancing Black Homeownership Program recently celebrated their graduation from the program alongside Habitat staff members. 

Portia shared inspiring stories from participants, including multiple amazing quotes from clients who’ve gone through the program: 

“Everything was wonderful. It’s a blessing to have a program such as this. Wonderful people, knowledge, informed, and very friendly staff. I enjoy the time spent. Well worth the time.” 

“I enjoyed meeting new people with the same aspirations of my own. It was nice hearing what others have gone through and are working on getting to their homeownership goal.” 

“The only feedback I have is to please keep doing these sessions.” 

This feedback underscores the program's impact and value in the community. The program will continue to evolve based on community feedback.  

You can read even more about this program and its early successes in our recent blog.  

Homeowner engagement through Volunteer and Learn  

Anne Elliott-Thul and Jenny Sanford discussed the new Volunteer and Learn program, designed to engage Habitat homeowners after they purchase their homes. This new program offers essential support through workshops, skill-building days, and community events to ensure homeowners thrive in their new homes.  

In 2024, the program saw great success, with homeowners actively participating in various activities to learn home maintenance skills, engage with peers, and build stronger ties within the Habitat community. We continue to adapt and expand the program based on feedback from clients about what they want to learn and how they wish to connect with fellow homeowners.  

Habitat homeowners can share your feedback and see upcoming Volunteer and Learn events online here. 

Digging deeper  

The town hall concluded with a Question & Answer session with leaders from across the organization. Participants submitted tons of amazing questions! Check out the recording above to learn even more about our work, our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how we’re navigating the uncertain waters of threats to federal funding. If you're interested in raising your voice in support of affordable homeownership, click here to send a pre-written email to your federal representatives urging them to protect our federal funding.

At the Town Hall, we highlighted some fun upcoming opportunities for you to get involved with Habitat's mission:

🎫 Get your tickets for the Hard Hat & Black Tie Gala on Saturday, April 26
❄️ Become a Winter Warrior volunteer and get special swag
📢 Stay connected with our Advocacy work by signing up for action alerts
🛍️ Shop, donate, and volunteer at ReStore Home Improvement Outlets