Potential Pitfalls with ABWK

At TCHFH we've had to deal with many issue's along the way as we started and grew A Brush with Kindness. Some of the issue's we have resolved and some we are still dealing with as we continue evolving our principles and practices concerning ABWK.

Below are the most significant issue's we've had to work through to become a healthy, thriving program. Also, most of the issue's below are also one's we get affiliate inquiries about as well.

- It’s all about the family and their story.
      >  Focus on the family first and then the building project. Help to answer other issue's.

- Getting everyone at the affiliate on the same page with ABWK

      >  Should home preservation be as big of a priority as home building? (understanding housing stability)

      > Is ABWK a drain on homebuilding?

- Integrating ABWK with homebuilding
- Marketing and dual branding

- Funding projects: be creative and use family stories.

- Don’t chase number of families served: build relationships, tell stories and the numbers will come.

- Who will you serve?

- Choosing qualified families
- Finding eligible families
- Volunteer experience
- Family circumstances: understanding the diversity of family values
- Family partner process/sweat equity
- Communicating effectively with families
- Affordability and repayment
- Working with Vulnerable Adults
- Work scope: where to stop
- Working on a home with lead
- Understanding differences: homebuyers and ABWK homeowners
- Working with current Habitat homeowners

Over the next few months I will focus a blog post on each of the issue's and share how we've overcome potential obstacles to our growth and sustainability. I would love to hear from other affiliates on how you've dealt with these issue's and even others not listed. Understanding and effectively working through these issue's will determine the programs value to your affiliate and it's ultimate impact in your communities.

Helping Families Preserve Stable Homes

A Brush with Kindness serves around 140 families a year. However, we receive nearly 400 applications as well.

Those families we do partner with are served through a continuum of assistance based on their need and our resources.

Yet, we also try to be creative in leveraging all possible resources to meet homeowner needs.

Those we cannot help we refer to other organizations who may be able to offer some support.

We also work to link all of  our applicants with other helpful resources that keep them on a path of restoration and home stability.

These services may include financial counseling, legal assistance, thrift store vouchers, low cost home services, utility assistance, nutrition resources, medical assistance etc. Please see preserveourhome.com for other supportive resources for the home.

All of these services play a role in stabilizing a families home situation.  Twin Cities HFH is committed to helping families find appropriate resources that support their efforts to live in a safe, stable home.

Measuring Outcomes

TCHFH is in the process of measuring the impact we are having on families.

We have made up a simple one page survey that asks families if their experience with Habitat has made their home situation more stable, healthier, safer or more affordable.

We are taking these surveys 4-6 months after their experience with A Brush with Kindness, homebuilding or our Mortgage Foreclosure prevention programs to get a snapshot of the success of our programs.

Here is a link to our homeowner survey.

Homeowners Insurance

We require all ABWK homeowners to carry homeowners insurance. This is a protection for homeowners in the rare case that they have issue's with anyone working on their property.

Even though volunteers and staff are protected through Habitat's insurance coverage, it does not cover the homeowners possible liability from an accident.

We also want the homeowners property protected after we fix up a home to protect our investment from future hazards.

We run into this issue fairly often. We usually find ways to get them insured through our state program or they find other means of getting insurance so they can have us work their home.