Wells Fargo Grants $30,000 to Local Habitat for Humanity Affiliate

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Patti Wang Cross
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley
510-803-3348
PWCross@HabitatEBSV.org

Wells Fargo Grants $30,000 to Local Habitat for Humanity Affiliate

Funding Will Help Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley Build 42 Homes in Walnut Creek

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF. (September 23, 2022) — Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley is one of more than 230 Habitat for Humanity affiliates awarded a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation as part of its nationwide initiative to help low-to-moderate-income families build and improve their homes across the U.S.

Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley received a $30,000 grant to support its Esperanza Place development in Walnut Creek, currently under construction just steps from the Contra Costa Centre BART station. The 42-home Zero Net Energy neighborhood will make homeownership affordable for families with limited incomes, for whom ownership opportunities in the area are all but nonexistent. Wells Fargo is not only providing funding, but also volunteer labor for the effort, with more than 25 employees from different business groups coming out to the construction site to get hands-on. The volunteers will be working on the first phase of 23 homes, which are in various stages of building, from fresh foundations to fully framed and sheared walls and roofs. 

At least one in five California households spend over half of their income on housing, and the Bay Area is at the heart of the affordability crisis. Families struggle to afford their rent, let alone get a foothold in the homeownership market, while others are being displaced from the area entirely by the rising cost of housing. Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley works to combat the crisis by building new homes that families can own through stable, affordable mortgages, by offering the critical repairs that keep homeowners in their homes, and by providing the financial counseling and education that empowers more people toward homeownership and other financial goals. 

“Habitat is so grateful for the support of the Wells Fargo Foundation,” said Janice Jensen, President & Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. “This grant will go a long way toward getting house keys into the hands of 42 new homeowners, along with all the incredible benefits that come with homeownership.”

“Far too many people are facing housing instability and homeownership remains out of reach for millions of families,” said Katy Fitzsimmons, senior social impact & sustainability specialist at Wells Fargo. “We’re proud of our long-standing work with Habitat for Humanity to increase the supply of affordable homes and help people achieve the dream of homeownership because we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to have a place to call home.”  

This funding is part of a $7.75 million donation to Habitat for Humanity International through the Wells Fargo Builds program to support the construction, renovation, and repairing of more than 350 affordable homes across the U.S.

Wells Fargo volunteers will be building at Esperanza Place at 1250 Las Juntas Way in Walnut Creek on Friday, September 23. Media are invited to attend from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.