Building Hope: Habitat Forsyth's Achievements in 2023, Vision for Exploration in 2024

Happy New Year! I hope that your 2024 is off to an amazing start! Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County has so much to be thankful for as we wrap up 2023. First and foremost, we are thankful for each supporter who contributes to our mission of building safe and affordable housing for low-income families in our community. Together, we will continue to make a positive impact on the lives of families in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Affordable homeownership continues to be at the forefront of issues that our city is working toward improving. We are working hard to find like-minded individuals and organizations to help us build communities, homes and hope. Our land inventory is at an all-time high as well as the number of families we have in the pipeline with 43 families. Housing costs have increased significantly, and the demand is just as high. We have families in our homeownership program paying more than $1,300 a month for rent in substandard housing. We are committed and ready for the challenge to serve more families. Habitat Forsyth has been the leader in building safe and affordable single-family housing for almost 40 years. It’s time we look at other ways to serve our families. Is that rental, senior housing, duplexes, or condos? This will be a year of exploration.

• In 2023, we had our inaugural First Responders Build. We are so grateful to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Winston-Salem Fire Department, and Winston-Salem Police Department for their efforts in helping a local family in need of safe and affordable housing achieve financial stability and much more through homeownership. Read more about the First Responders Build.
• We partnered with the Winston-Salem Foundation and a generous donor to establish an Economic Mobility Endowment Fund to assist families with hardships.
• We received funding from the City of Winston-Salem to build 13 new homes in the Happy Hill community.
• We created The Housing Products Working Group, uniting Habitat staff, city and county officials, and community members dedicated to creating solutions for Forsyth County's housing crisis.
• We are excited to partner with our friends at Arbor Acres, who plan to build three new homes over the next three years through a resident-led fundraising project.

In 2024, we anticipate a year marked by exploration and the cultivation of new alliances, coupled with the reinforcement of our ongoing work with community partners. With your help we can continue making an impact in the community building homes, community and hope.

Transformation and Hope: Bringing Accessibility and Comfort to Retiree After Stroke

Two years into his retirement, Mr. Hicks experienced a life-altering stroke, confining him to a wheelchair. Living in a home that lacked handicap-accessibility, he soon realized its impracticality. Fortunately, a friend suggested reaching out to Habitat Forsyth for assistance, setting Mr. Hicks on a path to a transformed bathroom.

Initially faced with a garden tub and a small stand-up shower that were inaccessible, Mr. Hicks expressed his frustration, saying, “If there’s a shower designed for me to use, I'll probably be in it three times a day! That would be a blessing in the sky and would help me a lot,” when the Habitat team arrived to kick off the project.

Habitat Forsyth's Repair Team replaced the garden tub with a spacious, tiled walk-in shower equipped with grab bars. Additionally, they repurposed the existing shower stall into a much-needed storage area.

Reflecting on the assistance, Mr. Hicks shared, "It was truly mind-blowing to discover that there's someone out there willing to help me without imposing a financial burden I couldn't afford."