The history of Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity
Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International has built and rehabilitated more than 250,000 houses with families in need, becoming a world leader in addressing the issues of poverty and affordable housing.
It was a small, little-known movement until 1984, when President Jimmy Carter first got involved. His interest and actions raised public awareness of the program and the tremendous need for decent, truly affordable homes for the working poor. Churches, community groups and others joined together to successfully tackle a significant social problem—affordable, safe and decent housing for all. By 1985, leaders in Nashville wanted to be a part of this extraordinary ministry.
The beginnings were humble. With a handful of volunteers and no staff, there was a lot of trial and error. The builds were slow, often taking up to a year to complete one house, but the positive effects were clear and the passion of the volunteers was unwavering.
- 1985: 1 house built
- 1990: 2 houses built
By the early ’90s, first steps were taken for the group to become an organized, fully functioning “affiliate” of Habitat for Humanity International. The organization began to make progress. Word began to spread. More and more people got involved, and many returned to volunteer again. Nashville’s Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency partnered with the agency to identify infill lots for building one home at a time for families. From humble beginnings, the agency has grown exponentially—in number of staff members, families served, homes sponsored and active volunteers.
Moving from an all-volunteer group to a staffed agency in 1985, Nashville Area Habitat is now in the top 1 percent of affiliates worldwide. Nashville Area Habitat has served more than 1,377 Nashville family members, including 850 children, each of whom will pass knowledge, personal growth and investments on to their children and grandchildren.
The process of building Nashville Habitat homes has also changed dramatically since the beginning. In the search for the most efficient timetable, the agency tried building homes over longer and shorter periods. Eventually, Nashville Area Habitat chose the now-standard eight-day construction schedule. Nashville Habitat’s pace is actually considered “blitz building” by Habitat International classification. But this pace works the best for Nashville Area Habitat’s sponsors, volunteers, families, staff and volunteer Supervisors on Site (S.O.S.) It took 15 years to build the first 100 homes and only four years for the second 100. We built our next 100 in fewer than three years and plan to build our next 100 homes in just over two years.
Locally, we built:
- 2005: 30 houses
- 2006: 38 houses
- 2007: 40 houses
- 2008: 42 houses
Nashville Area Habitat’s vision for affordable housing has evolved as well. Now the agency builds communities by acquiring land large enough to build neighborhoods rather than sprinkling construction in infill lots all over town. By building whole communities of Nashville Habitat families, the agency reduces the cost of building, develops sustainable communities, and maximizes the positive effects of its program.
In the fall 2007, Nashville Area Habitat completed Providence Park, its 138-home, all-Habitat neighborhood located in southeast Nashville.
In 2007, Nashville Area Habitat purchased and began developing their second Habitat community—Timberwood—in northwest Davidson County. Construction began in 2008, and the potential 112-home community should be finished by 2011.
In 2008, Nashville Area Habitat purchased more than 220 acres of land in north Nashville on which to build the agency’s next community, Park Preserve. Land development will begin this year, and construction on the first 34 homes will begin in 2010. By 2020, Park Preserve will be home to 350 families.
Learn more about Park Preserve
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Nashville Area Habitat. Our agency has worked with more than 97,500 volunteers to help us serve those in need of truly affordable homes in Nashville. Many of those volunteers work tirelessly on our board of directors and numerous committees to help the agency remain good stewards of its ministry and keep it growing for many years to come.
Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity—Dickson Division
In July 2007, Nashville Area Habitat and Dickson Habitat affiliates merged. Together, we serve more low-income families more efficiently. Dickson Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1994 by the Dickson County Ministerial Fellowship and since 1996 has built 15 Habitat homes. The first home build of combined affiliates was in November 2007, two more were built 2008, and three are planned for 2009.
HomeWORKS—tools for homeownership, education for life.
Through Habitat HomeWORKS courses, Nashville Area Habitat families learn how to be responsible homeowners. Armed with new knowledge and a new direction, these homeowners break the generational cycle of poverty by passing these gifts on to their children and their children’s children.
The Habitat HomeStores
Since January 2004, Nashville Area Habitat has opened two Habitat HomeStore locations to develop additional sources of funding to build more homes. The Habitat HomeStore sells new and used home-related items and building materials at generous discounts to the public. The Habitat HomeStores have funded seven Nashville Area Habitat homes in fewer than six years of operation.
learn more about the Habitat HomeStores
Nashville Area Habitat building lives, one home, one family, one community at a time.