Dear Habitat Supporter,
As I sit down to write to you tonight, I’ve shuffled my holiday menu and shopping list aside to make space on my desk. In this fun, food, and family-filled time of the year, I’m prepping for a big holiday crowd. We will host many holiday celebrations in the coming weeks…inviting our friends and our family into our homes to share the joy of the season. Personally, I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to gather together, in a place that is welcoming to all…my home.
With your kindness and generosity, and the hard work of our dedicated team at Ulster Habitat, dozens of Habitat partners and their families can feel that same joy of shared celebrations in their own homes. We are on track (for the first time!) to complete three homes in early 2023; and we have even bigger news! We are preparing for our largest project ever, a Habitat development! We have purchased a multi-acre parcel in Saugerties. This will allow us to build several homes of varying sizes, allowing us the flexibility to meet the needs of our community in much needed ways.
As we embark on this new journey, I am asking for your support. Many of you have been steadfast in your belief that affordable housing is a critical part of a successful community, and have acted on that belief by donating to Ulster Habitat. For this, I am eternally grateful, and hopeful that you will continue to support our mission and encourage others to follow your example.
Affordable housing has become a more serious issue in the last few years across the entire country. Here in Ulster County, we have reached a crisis point with affordable housing becoming out-of-reach for most working families. The median sale price of a home in Ulster County has increased 56% in the last three years to $370,000 in 2022. For the vast majority of local families who do not yet own a home, there is no path to homeownership without Ulster Habitat’s help.
The families we partner with are local, love the area they live in, and provide many essential services to our community. Some of the most recent Habitat Homeowners include a manager at a local big box retailer, someone who works at a local hardware store, and another who works at a chocolatier that’s been in business here for more than 5 decades. All of these people help our community thrive and are a critical part of our everyday lives. With Habitat’s help, they can stay in our community and raise their families right here at home.
Your gift to Ulster Habitat makes the dream of a home of their own a reality for these local families. Please consider a generous financial contribution to support our mission of affordable homeownership for all. Your support will have a ripple effect all throughout Ulster County, and will have a lasting impact for many generations to come.
Wishing you and yours the merriest holiday season!
With gratitude,
Christine Brady LaValle, CEO/Executive Director
Ulster County Habitat for Humanity