HabiJax
Encyclopedia
HabiJax of Jacksonville, Florida
is the largest of the 1,600+ affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International
(HFH) in the United States. Habijax was named the 8th largest homebuilder in the United States by Builder Magazine for 2009.
The program builds "simple, decent, and affordable" housing using volunteer labor and sells them at no profit, with no interest charged on the 25 year mortgage. HabiJax completed their 1,500th home in 2007, and 2008 marked 20 years of service to the Jacksonville community.
and many local businesses & organizations contribute to the program; their employees & members volunteer in the actual building. Companies include JEA
, Jacksonville Jaguars
, Stein Mart
, Everbank
, Northeast Florida Builders Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Swisher International Group
and Fidelity National Financial
. Faith-based sponsors include coalitions from Episcopal
, Baptist
, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Catholic
churches. Even U.S. Navy Sailors volunteer one day each week while their ship is in port.
Work Project constructed the Fairway Oaks community of 85 single-family homes in 17 days. The former President and his wife, Roselyn were joined by former Housing Secretary Jack Kemp
, Habitat founders Linda and Millard Fuller
, Jaguars owners Delores and Wayne Weaver and Mayor John Delaney
, who worked with local volunteers in September, 2000.
On January 25, 2002, during a visit to the Fairway Oaks HabiJax site in north Jacksonville, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez
said, "Sweat equity
programs, like Habitat for Humanity, help more and more low-income families open the door to homeownership." Some residents of the Fairway Oaks development have subsequently complained of health problems. Part of the development was constructed over a landfill
, with one resident finding layers of garbage under his kitchen floorboards. Other residents allege poor construction. Many residents have taken legal action, and HabiJax is dealing with about 30 complaints from homeowners. However, it is not clear whether the issues are due to lack of maintenance or substandard construction. A Habitat for Humanity volunteer commented, "Many of our new home owners do not understand the difference between renting and owning. We now have a class on The Responsibilities of Home Ownership. We teach them about home maintenance and repair; it works." One Fairway Oaks resident, Diennal Fields, insisted that some owners don't know how to take care of their homes: “It’s simple stuff: if there is mildew, don’t get a lawyer, get a bottle of bleach”.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
is the largest of the 1,600+ affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
(HFH) in the United States. Habijax was named the 8th largest homebuilder in the United States by Builder Magazine for 2009.
The program builds "simple, decent, and affordable" housing using volunteer labor and sells them at no profit, with no interest charged on the 25 year mortgage. HabiJax completed their 1,500th home in 2007, and 2008 marked 20 years of service to the Jacksonville community.
Local cooperation
HabiJax has a good working relationship with the Jacksonville Housing AuthorityJacksonville Housing Authority
The Jacksonville Housing Authority is the quasi-independent agency responsible for public housing and subsidized housing in the city of Jacksonville, Florida....
and many local businesses & organizations contribute to the program; their employees & members volunteer in the actual building. Companies include JEA
JEA
JEA , located in Jacksonville, Florida, is the eighth largest community-owned electric utility company in the United States and largest in Florida. As of 2009, JEA serves more than 417,000 electric customers, 305,000 water customers and 230,000 sewer customers. Besides Jacksonville , JEA also has...
, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Stein Mart
Stein Mart
Stein Mart is a nationwide department store based in Jacksonville, Florida. The company reported a profit of nearly $24 million in 2009 with operation of 264 stores in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Stein Mart has locations primarily in the Southeast and Texas. Stein Mart's stores carry...
, Everbank
EverBank
EverBank is an American diversified financial services company providing banking, mortgages, and investing services. It is based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It operates through standard banking offices, and through its Direct Banking division. EverBank Direct operates by telephone, mail, and...
, Northeast Florida Builders Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Swisher International Group
Swisher International Group
Swisher International Group, with executive offices located in Darien, Connecticut, and operational headquarters located in Jacksonville, Florida, is the world's largest cigar company as measured by units sold and is America’s largest cigar exporter, shipping to nearly 90 countries. Brands include...
and Fidelity National Financial
Fidelity National Financial
Fidelity National Financial , headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA , is a Fortune 500 company that provides real estate and financial services...
. Faith-based sponsors include coalitions from Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
churches. Even U.S. Navy Sailors volunteer one day each week while their ship is in port.
Fairway Oaks
The Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
Work Project constructed the Fairway Oaks community of 85 single-family homes in 17 days. The former President and his wife, Roselyn were joined by former Housing Secretary Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
, Habitat founders Linda and Millard Fuller
Millard Fuller
Millard Dean Fuller was the founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit organization known globally for building houses for those in need, and the founder and former president of The Fuller Center for Housing...
, Jaguars owners Delores and Wayne Weaver and Mayor John Delaney
John Delaney
John Adrian Delaney is an American lawyer, politician and university administrator. He currently serves as the president of the University of North Florida. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1995 to 2003...
, who worked with local volunteers in September, 2000.
On January 25, 2002, during a visit to the Fairway Oaks HabiJax site in north Jacksonville, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
said, "Sweat equity
Sweat equity
Sweat equity is a term that refers to a party's contribution to a project in the form of effort --- as opposed to financial equity, which is a contribution in the form of capital....
programs, like Habitat for Humanity, help more and more low-income families open the door to homeownership." Some residents of the Fairway Oaks development have subsequently complained of health problems. Part of the development was constructed over a landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, with one resident finding layers of garbage under his kitchen floorboards. Other residents allege poor construction. Many residents have taken legal action, and HabiJax is dealing with about 30 complaints from homeowners. However, it is not clear whether the issues are due to lack of maintenance or substandard construction. A Habitat for Humanity volunteer commented, "Many of our new home owners do not understand the difference between renting and owning. We now have a class on The Responsibilities of Home Ownership. We teach them about home maintenance and repair; it works." One Fairway Oaks resident, Diennal Fields, insisted that some owners don't know how to take care of their homes: “It’s simple stuff: if there is mildew, don’t get a lawyer, get a bottle of bleach”.