Habitat Metro Denver Recognized by Bank of America for Its Impact in Addressing Housing Insecurity

DENVER, CO. – The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has named Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver (Habitat Metro Denver) as a 2015 Neighborhood Builder partner, which combines $200,000 in flexible funding with leadership training for high-performing nonprofits and their executives.

Habitat Metro Denver will use this new investment to launch its Critical Home Repair (CHR) program in two Denver neighborhoods, Elyria and Swansea, and support the existing CHR program in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood. Residents, civic leaders and the City of Denver have all requested for expansion of the CHR program into these neighborhoods, citing tremendous community need for support, but the lack of financial resources has hampered progress – until now.

“Habitat Metro Denver has a long, rich history of building and sustaining safe, affordable homes in Denver and the surrounding communities, and this strategic investment will empower them to build leadership capacity and continue to address the evolving housing challenges in our city,” said Jodi Rolland, Bank of America state president for Colorado. “We’re pleased to partner with Habitat Metro Denver to be responsive to our community’s needs, and we’re confident that expanding the Critical Home Repair program into Elyria and Swansea will have positive impact for generations to come.”

Since its inception in 1979, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver has served more than 600 local families.  To complement its traditional homebuilding programs, Habitat launched its Critical Home Repair program in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood in 2012. It is now growing the program’s reach through home repairs in the nearby communities of Elyria and Swansea in Northeast Denver. The Neighborhood Builder investment will help to complete 30 critical home projects in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea in 2015, improving housing stock and increasing homeownership longevity in these historic neighborhoods. Improvements to existing homes will include new roofs, lead paint abatement, weatherization, electrical and plumbing, and like all Habitat projects, homeowners will contribute sweat equity side-by-side with community volunteers.

“Globeville, Elyria and Swansea are among our city’s oldest and most culturally rich neighborhoods, but there is a deep need for home repairs in these areas. The Neighborhood Builder partnership is exactly the kind of critical investment we need to makes those changes a reality,” said Heather Lafferty, executive director and CEO of Habitat Metro Denver. “We are grateful to have partners like Bank of America that share our vision for a city where everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.”

Neighborhood Builders is currently commemorating its 11th year as the largest investment in nonprofit leadership development and organizational longevity in the county. Through Neighborhood Builders, Bank of America has invested $160 million in 800 nonprofit organizations nationwide and provided training to 1,600 nonprofit leaders. Organizations selected as Neighborhood Builders are recognized for their significant impact in addressing needs related to community development, basic human services or workforce development and education. The flexible funding allows nonprofits to build capacity. At the same time, leaders of the organizations learn about issues core to nonprofit sustainability through the Neighborhood Builders leadership training.