New Ways to Serve Our Community

• Our constructions sites are open, and we continue to accept volunteers to help us put the final touches on our Emergency Interim Housing communities for our unhoused neighbors in San Jose. This work has been deemed essential, and our volunteers are a part of that essential workforce.
• Likewise, our three ReStores are an essential business, and they are open for shopping, donation, and volunteerism. Click here to learn more about shopping hours and donation procedures.
• Our Playhouse Program is open to volunteers and team building events. Playhouse builds can be held outside or as a smaller, well-spaced build in our Oakland and Milpitas workshops.
• If you're looking for some great socially distanced corporate volunteer opportunities, corporate teams can work with our staff to create a safe and fulfilling experience that is tailored to your group’s needs such as opportunities like our virtual “lunch and learns." Contact us today to learn more!

And in this time, while not everyone can lift a hammer, everyone can help us build by giving. Your generosity has made it possible for us to serve more people than ever, even in this crisis, and we depend our community to keep us building forward.

OUR SERVICES

Our Homeownership Program is continuing to operate under the same protocol that has been in effect since March 2020:

• We are still accepting applications for our Buyer Ready List, for those who would like to be considered for our Esperanza Place development. To apply, please read our program guidelines, attend a Homeowner Orientation, and complete a pre-application.
• Pre-applications can be done online or mailed to our Oakland office: Habitat for Humanity, 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612.
• Both our Milpitas and Oakland offices remain closed. If you have questions about your application, please email HomeownerInfo@HabitatEBSV.org.

We are also still serving our neighbors through our Home Preservation Program and continuing to adhere to the following COVID safety protocols:

• Minimizing in-person client interactions
• Using personal protective equipment
• Observing social distancing for any necessary interactions.
• We are still taking applications online. However, we are experiencing some delays due to construction material shortages and the availability of contractors.
• Both our Milpitas and Oakland offices remain closed. If you have questions about your application, please email HomeRepair@HabitatEBSV.org.

The pandemic has resulted in a financial fallout that makes our Housing and Financial Counseling services more essential than ever. To meet this increased need, we are:

• Increasing our free, online webinars that target specific financial concerns such as managing debt, managing finances in times of crisis, and more.
• Providing online, one-on-one options to meet with a HUD-certified Housing Counselor to get all your personal finance questions answered.
• Breaking up our 8-hour, in-person HUD-approved First-Time Homebuyer Class into four sessions of 2-hour long virtual segments.
• Launching our new Financial Education Center– a free, online portal for personalized financial guidance – so anyone, anywhere can access critical tools and resources to achieve financial wellness.

STRONGER TOGETHER

As this health crisis continues, we recognize that it has been a challenge unlike any we’ve seen. We are a community in uncertainty, in transition, in upheaval, in need, and in mourning. But Habitat keeps coming back to that word – community. Your support shows us that we are a community of incredible strength, resilience, ingenuity, industriousness, and generosity. See how in our year-end video!

Thank you for standing with Habitat. Until we can do so shoulder to shoulder again, be well, and take care of each other.

To support us as we support our community,  please consider donating to our COVID-19 Resiliency Fund.