Who we are:

Site Supervisors - Erwin and Edwin Mageary

FCHH finished home construction.

Homeowner Linda Powell and family.

Flower City Habitat for Humanity is a non-denominational Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard and poverty housing in Rochester, NY. Since 1984, Flower City Habitat for Humanity has built or renovated over 190 homes, and is one of the largest Habitat affiliates in the northeastern US.

How Habitat Works:

Flower City Habitat for Humanity builds homes and revitalizes neighborhoods in the City of Rochester, NY. We rely on the support of thousands of volunteers, faith-based communities, and businesses located throughout Monroe County. Working with the City of Rochester, we target the city's most desperate neighborhoods and select vacant lots upon which to build one-story homes. The city makes lots available to us through foreclosure and demolition of run-down or vacant properties.

Homes are built by several thousand volunteers joining us annually, who are trained and supervised by our professional construction supervisors. Financial support, materials donations, and construction services are provided by individuals, corporations and faith groups.

Our affiliate focuses on creating strong neighborhoods in which new homeowners are all stakeholders. A cluster of strong families working together, builds neighborhoods in which the sight of children at play replaces street crime and violence. Home ownership creates hope, stability and a better quality of life; and Habitat remains part of our homeowners’ lives, supporting the families if they are ever in need.

Engaging Homeowner Partners:

Habitat provides "a hand up, not a handout." Homes are purchased through a zero-interest, 30-year mortgage held by Flower City Habitat for Humanity, and homeowners often find that their monthly mortgage payment is far less costly than when they rented.

Selection of homeowners is based on a family's need for decent affordable shelter, household income that is 60 percent below the median for the Rochester area and a willingness to partner with Flower City Habitat for Humanity by investing sweat equity and making mortgage payments reliably.

Each family contributes 450 hours of sweat equity -- half goes into building their own home and half into building other Habitat houses. New Habitat homeowners complete a series of seven classes and typically become role models for other homeowners in the neighborhood.