We are thrilled to announce that Flower City Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity International and 83 affiliates have received a transformational $436M gift from MacKenzie Scott!

Flower City Habitat will use $3.75M gift to address affordable housing shortage in Rochester.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (March 22, 2022) – Flower City Habitat for Humanity (FCHH), along with Habitat for Humanity International, and 83 U.S. Habitat affiliate organizations, has been selected to receive $436 million in unrestricted giving from American Author and Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Of that, Flower City Habitat for Humanity received $3.75 million. This transformational donation will substantially help further Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has equitable access to a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.

“We are extremely grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime gift from MacKenzie Scott,” said Matthew J. Flanigan, CEO & President of FCHH. “As we all know, there is a significant need for affordable housing in the City of Rochester and this generous donation will allow FCHH to provide a greater number of families with the opportunity for affordable homeownership in alignment with our mission of building homeownership, communities, and hope.”

Flower City Habitat’s initial plans for the funding include greater support of initiatives and programs that help city residents build stability, equity, and generational wealth through FCHH’s homeownership, repair, and advocacy programs.

Habitat International will use its portion of the donation to prioritize advocacy and programmatic efforts designed to dismantle systemic racism in housing. Specifically, the donation will allow Habitat to advocate for policy proposals and legislation that enable millions of people to access affordable housing through its Cost of Home advocacy campaign; increase Black homeownership in the U.S. by targeting current systemic barriers through a new initiative that will launch this summer; and leverage innovative capital investments that service communities of color.
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“Habitat works to break down barriers and bring people together — to tear down obstacles and build a world where everyone, no matter who we are or where we come from, has a decent place to live,” said Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford. “This incredible gift helps make that work possible.”

With Spring showers and new beginnings in the air, we celebrated our latest home dedication on Smith Street! This home was made possible by Perinton Congregations for Flower City Habitat for Humanity and the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation. Congrats Franchesca!

Please help us thank Youth Build Cohort #10, for their incredible work over the last 8 weeks of construction training! When they started, 226 Saxton was just a hole in the ground and now the second story subfloors are all installed!

Learn more about the Catholic Charities Family and Community Services YouthBuild program at https://www.fcscharities.org/services/employment-skills/#youthbuild

226 Saxton Street is being built through our partnership with The Builders Exchange of Rochester and Rochester Junior Builders Exchange. Learn more at https://robex.com/habitat-build/

Women Build 2022 is kicking off strong, with our first 6 teams already signed up, over $20,000 raised, and our first creative fundraiser starting today!

The "Simply Homemade" cookbook contains recipes for comfort food that were gathered from Women Build volunteers, supporters, and Habitat staff members. Try some delicious new dishes in this 85-page book!

You will find selections for appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, side dishes, breads, and desserts, all tested in the home kitchens of the people who submitted the recipes. Plus helpful tips like definitions of cooking terms, an equivalents chart, and pages devoted to cooking and eating healthfully, too!

The cost is $10 per book and all net proceeds will support the 2022 Women Build house at 195 Melville Street! (Net proceeds will be attributed to team goals after the sale ends.)

Get one for yourself or as a gift today!

​You can help build the 18th Women Build house in Rochester!

Since 1991, Women Build volunteers from all walks of life have come together to build stronger, safer communities with Habitat affiliates around the world. Each year in Rochester, teams of women (and a handful of men) combine their fundraising efforts and volunteer build days to make another Habitat home possible.

This year's Women Build house will be a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath new home being built at 195 Melville Street (the vacant lot shown in this picture) and you can help build it!

Fundraising is going on now and volunteering is expected to start in April. Learn how you can get involved by clicking the button below!

​For more information on the house and how to get notified when homebuyer applications open, click the button below.

It's Spring and we are getting ready for a lot more construction volunteers VERY SOON! In these photos, some of our regular volunteers built window and door frames to help with the upcoming Framing Frenzy at Rochester Institute of Technology!

RIT students can learn more at https://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/lead/connect-with-community/on-campus-service-projects

Others looking to volunteer can browse upcoming shifts at give.rochesterhabitat.org/volunteer_calendar. We currently have a lot of need for volunteers at our two ReStore locations and more construction volunteering will be available starting in April.

Starting the second story at 226 Saxton Street! Thank you YouthBuild!

This home is being built through our partnership with The Builders Exchange of Rochester and Rochester Junior Builders Exchange.  Learn more at https://robex.com/habitat-build/

Learn more about the Catholic Charities Family and Community Services YouthBuild program at https://www.fcscharities.org/services/employment-skills/#youthbuild

Saturday was a snowy day of service for RIT's Theta Psi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi!

The day included painting, cutting and installing trim, installing storm doors, and more at 871 Smith Street and 375 Campbell Street. Thank you for building with us!
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Learn more about group volunteering at www.rochesterhabitat.org/groups

"Surprise Jae & Pito, welcome to our new home!"

What an amazing day. Despite personally building almost every week throughout construction, Natasha managed to keep her Habitat home a secret from her kids until today's dedication! Be sure to check out the livestream video (link below) for their reactions seeing the house and their new rooms!

Today's dedication was also a milestone for our affiliate and the Greater JOSANA Neighborhood, with this house being the 100th Habitat home built or renovated within a half mile of School 17!

This new home was generously sponsored by Thrivent and the Harvest Home Coalition, the fourth Habitat home they have partnered together on, raising the funds and volunteer labor needed to complete the home with Natasha. Thank you all for your partnership and hard work. Congratulations Natasha!

Subfloor done and exterior walls going up at 226 Saxton Street! Thank you, #YouthBuild!

This home is being built through our partnership with the The Builders Exchange of Rochester and Rochester Junior Builders Exchange. Learn more at https://robex.com/habitat-build/

Learn more about the Catholic Charities Family and Community Services  YouthBuild program at https://www.fcscharities.org/services/employment-skills/#youthbuild