We Never Stopped

In a year like no other, Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter faced the challenges head on and never stopped working toward a community where everyone has a decent place to live.

Safe, secure, affordable housing is a basic human need without which we cannot thrive.

We never stopped building. When Governor Newsom declared construction an essential sector, we took precautions, wore PPE and kept right on building. Although we are unable to utilize construction volunteers at this time, we still completed 12 new homes in 2020 – our best year ever!

We never stopped advocating for affordable housing for the elderly, disabled and veterans in our community. In partnership with Sutter County, we pursued and were awarded a State HomeKey grant to open a 62 room, 124 bed facility just south of Yuba City. The first residents will move in by December.

We never stopped reaching out in our community. We will begin construction of four duplexes (eight units) in Live Oak this winter which will house up to sixteen individuals and provide them with supportive services. As with all Habitat programs, these low-income individuals will pay no more than 30% of their income for housing, including utilities.

We never stopped providing pathways to self-sufficiency for the most vulnerable in our community. This year we added a 25-bed homeless shelter to the Life Building Center, a Coordinated Entry facility, which offers several services, e.g., medical, case workers, education, and job training, to give people a hand up getting back on their feet.

We never stopped providing affordable essential home repairs for homeowners who can’t afford to repair damages or bring their homes up to livable standards.

We never stopped caring for our neighbors who lost everything in local wildfires. This winter we will begin construction on a new development called Paradise Valley which will give first priority to housing Camp Fire and North Complex Fire survivors. As the 2020 fires raged, we quickly assimilated to become a donation station and evacuation site for those in need. We coordinated and delivered meals from our local restaurants to our brave firefighters until the fire was under control.

We never laid off staff when the ReStore closed for 6 weeks earlier this year.. After safety training and using PPE, staff reorganized and cleaned the store and built new facades for the store interior while securing quality NEW donors for our customers. When we reopened in May, we were overwhelmed with generous donations and shoppers fixing up their homes. The ReStore had its highest sales ever in May and set a new record for the year!

_Laurie Sweeney Habitat for Humanity Yuba Sutter Board Member