A new year, a new home

WINNIPEG – The first Habitat home has been built by using the mortgage payments from previous Habitat for Humanity Legacy Fund homes. The keys for the new home in Winnipeg were presented to the new homeowner, Merlinda on Friday, January 31. Merlinda and her two sons arrived in Canada from the Philippines in 2007.

“This home is an example of a successful partnership that has been influential in stopping the cycle of poverty. Homeowners not only put their sweat equity into the building of their home, but they also play a key role in sustaining the Legacy Build fund through their mortgage payments, which are reinvested to build more homes for other eligible families,” said Sandy Hopkins, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba CEO.

Established in 2008, the Legacy Build Program is a partnership, between Habitat for Humanity Manitoba (HFHM) and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, with a self-sustaining model of funding that enables the construction of homes for low-income families for decades.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries committed $3 million and over the past six years HFHM raised matching funds to build 49 homes in communities throughout the province. This year the accumulated mortgage payments were enough to pay for the construction of the 50th home without needing to raise additional funds.

Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is the local affiliate of a global non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and to making decent housing a matter of conscience. Since 1987, HFHM has partnered with local businesses and thousands of dedicated volunteers to build homes for over 275 Manitoba families.