Habitat for Humanity tips hat to Pride month in LGBTQ+ build

It’s a general rule of thumb: No one should spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This is not feasible for the majority of Spokane residents, however.

Habitat for Humanity-Spokane provides a solution for those families and individuals who send off the bulk of their paycheck to settle that month’s rent or mortgage. Their mission is to provide permanently affordable housing to those in need. Though they will not have their dream home built, this arrangement will give those struggling financially a stepping stone into the housing market. It will help them to lower their debt, increase their credit score and save up enough money to make a downpayment on their ideal home in the future.

“It’s really an all-encompassing program that ensures the success of the homebuyer,” Habitat-Spokane CEO Michelle Girardot said.

Though it is an ecumenical Christian organization, Habitat-Spokane defies the religious stigma by welcoming anyone and everyone. They have hosted Women Build in March, Veterans Build in September, and on Monday, they will host their first ever Pride Build in Spokane Valley. In association with Spokane Pride, local members of the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone else interested, are invited to volunteer and help build a much-needed home for someone in their community – no experience necessary.

“We try to have different dedicated builds throughout the year that are really focused on different members of the community so we can uplift and empower them,” Habitat-Spokane Chief Development Officer Clare Brown said.

Nationally, Pride Build has been around since 2005 with the first one taking place in Tucson, Arizona. Habitat-Spokane is finally able to join in that movement as they plan to partake in Spokane’s Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday, then begin their project on Monday. This is part of their initiative to transcend the vision of everyone having a decent place to live and actually make it a reality.

“Our primary goal is to highlight that no matter who you are or where you come from, home ownership can be for you,” Girardot said.

In partnership with Numerica Credit Union, they will be offering a limited number of free registration spaces. Upon filling up, registration will cost $50, which covers a T-shirt, lunch and building materials. There is a morning shift from 8:30 a.m. to noon and an afternoon shift from noon to 4:30 p.m.

Though each shift has 20 open slots, they are always in need of volunteers. Currently, Habitat-Spokane has 31 homes under construction to add to the 420 homes they have already built in Spokane County. Still, there are over 700 people on the waitlist for the next application cycle. Girardot encourages those struggling to apply despite the required qualifications as it can provide helpful information for meeting the requirements in the following application period.

“Home is just becoming more and more out of reach,” Girardot said. “We all know somebody that is experiencing that kind of instability … if you’re looking for a way to make an impact on not only building an inclusive community but also helping to solve for the housing crisis, Habitat is a great way to get started.”

For more information and to register as a volunteer or apply for a home, visit habitat-spokane.org.