11 votes

MacKenzie Scott donates $436 million to Habitat for Humanity

2 comments

  1. [3]
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    1. cfabbro
      Link Parent
      I thought Habitat for Humanity was pretty well regarded. Do you happen to have any articles that support your criticism of it, and go into more detail? Because the wikipedia article makes the...

      I thought Habitat for Humanity was pretty well regarded. Do you happen to have any articles that support your criticism of it, and go into more detail? Because the wikipedia article makes the whole process seem pretty reasonable to me:

      There are several checks and balances in place to protect both Habitat and the potential homeowner:

      Habitat for Humanity performs an extensive background check on potential homeowners, including character references, employer interviews, and audit of finances. The applicants are required to sign release forms authorizing Habitat for Humanity to perform this background check. This ensures that Habitat's risk is reasonable when selling a home and that the applicant family is in a suitable financial position to take on the responsibility of a mortgage.

      There are typically a First and a Second Mortgage. The Second Mortgage is put in place to protect any equity that is left that is not captured in the first mortgage. The homeowners pay down the first mortgage, and after a stated period of time (which varies from affiliate to affiliate) of living in the same home, the Second Mortgage is forgiven (however, it is not always forgiven). However, The Right of First Refusal stays in force until the mortgage is paid in full.

      Homeowners are usually expected to put approximately 500 hours of "sweat equity" into their own or other project homes, although this amount may vary by location, the number of wage-earning adults in each family, and the recipients' health issues. This sweat equity acts as the down payment on the home. Every hour spent earning this sweat equity must be approved and signed off on by an official Habitat for Humanity representative. Sweat equity has no monetary value and cannot be 'refunded'.

      Once construction on the home is finished and the sweat equity is completed in full, the homeowner purchases the home with a 0% to 2% interest mortgage (in the United States) featuring monthly payments (including taxes and insurance) that do not exceed 30% of the household's monthly income.

      Mortgage payments from homeowners are deposited into a locally administered "Fund for Humanity", the proceeds of which go toward future construction. In an effort to discourage predatory lenders from targeting Habitat homeowner families, mortgage agreements require the Habitat for Humanity affiliate the right of first refusal. Until the mortgage is paid in full, a Habitat home has no equity and can only be sold back to Habitat for Humanity. Should a homeowner family decide to sell their home during the period of their mortgage, the affiliate will buy it back at market value. Often affiliates will have a shared appreciation model that will allow the affiliate to recapture a portion of the equity in the home depending on the time the family lived in the home and paid on the mortgage.

      The typically no interest mortgage payments permit a family the freedom to manage their finances more effectively. Some locations require prospective homeowners attend money management courses.

      10 votes
    2. TheJorro
      Link Parent
      Putting half a billion towards government lobbying and buying politicians to push through their personally preferred policies is now considered to be better than donating to a well-regarding...

      Putting half a billion towards government lobbying and buying politicians to push through their personally preferred policies is now considered to be better than donating to a well-regarding charitable endeavour and would somehow dispel the notion of evil billionaires?

      Also "unpaid labour" is a pretty wild reframing of "volunteering".

      9 votes