Home Builder Blitz

Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz brings together professional homebuilders from all over for one shared purpose - to build safe and affordable housing for families in need of a decent place to call home.

Thousands of professional homebuilders volunteer nationally to help construct, repair or revitalize homes, working alongside Habitat homeowners.

Why should your business help with the Home Builder Blitz?

Habitat and homeowners aren’t the only ones who benefit from Home Builders Blitz. Homebuilders deepen ties to their community, allowing them to collaborate with other builders in their area, to connect with subcontractors and to incorporate other corporate sponsors in the homebuilding industry who share their company’s values.

Program Overview

Repairs and Rehabs

In 2012, Home Builders Blitz incorporated rehabs and repairs for the first time. For this year, we are again encouraging affiliates and builders to partner in doing rehabs and repairs. The idea is simple: Using the model that has successfully provided new homes through
the partnership between Habitat for Humanity and homebuilders, we will invite contractors who specialize in rehabilitation or major repairs to join us. The process for rehabs and repairs is the same as new homes in that the affiliate identifies a contractor to commit to lead the project and raise funds while the affiliate secures the site and approves the family.

Rehabs: Depending on the extent of the rehab project, it might be beneficial to complete all the demolition
before the blitz, leaving only the reconstruction to be completed that week. A Certificate of Occupancy is expected at week’s end.

Repairs: Larger repairs that use the Home Builders Blitz model and are completed during the blitz week should be reported as well. Examples would include a complete reroof and exterior painting or a complete modification for handicap accessibility. All repairs should be done in accordance with the Critical Home Repair Guide found at https://bit.ly/2BaDHU1.

Project Responsibilities

Home Builders Blitz is an exciting opportunity for Habitat for Humanity and professional builders to partner to build and renovate homes across the nation. Affiliates and builders will work closely together to coordinate this project. The responsibilities of each group are defined below.

Builder responsibilities

Organize a team of subcontractors and suppliers to complete a home in five days — one work week — with a goal of delivering the house at no cost to Habitat.
Seek donations of labor and materials.
Attend scheduled team meetings.
Select the chair for fundraising efforts.
Participate in project fundraising by seeking out nonbuilding business partners (lenders, real estate agents, attorneys, etc.).
Recruit builders for additional home builds.
Engage building inspectors.
Interact with the Habitat affiliate to complete the project.
Engage the local homebuilders association.
Select a builder leader (for multiple-house builds).
Conduct regular team planning meetings (for multiple- house builds).

Manufacturer responsibilities

Donate materials to builders and affiliates.
Assist in a plan to distribute materials to participating affiliates.

Habitat for Humanity responsibilities

Select homebuyers and provide homebuyer support.
Acquire land and develop sites.
Provide house plans to builders.
Support builders in their fundraising efforts.
Provide public and media relations.
Provide a warranty on the work after the home is complete.
Provide building specifications to ensure uniformity of homes.
Use communication tools provided by Habitat for Humanity International to ensure the event is branded appropriately.
Reach more families by partnering with a group of highly skilled professionals.
Form new relationships with professionals in the building industry.
Define for builders the parameters of what decent, affordable housing means for your affiliate.

Program History

In 2002, Habitat for Humanity of Wake County in North Carolina and local custom home builder Tom Gipson partnered to recruit 12 professional homebuilders to build one house each in a five-day period, donating as much of the materials as possible. The results were astounding: 12 homes completed in five days at a net cost of $0.

This local idea became a successful national initiative in June 2006. The first national Home Builders Blitz involved more than 1,000 professional homebuilders working on 459 homes at 130 Habitat affiliates across the country, providing housing for nearly 2,000 people. This was the largest homebuilding effort in Habitat for Humanity’s history. The project was so successful that Habitat and builders wanted to replicate it in 2008.

Now an annual event, this proven program allows us to exponentially serve hundreds of additional families each year.

Home Builders Blitz is a partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the building industry to build and renovate homes across the nation. The model works for affiliates of any size — whether the affiliate elects to build one home or 15. Home Builders Blitz is a capacity-building
opportunity, allowing affiliates to serve more families without overextending their current structure. HFHI found that nearly 90 percent of participating affiliates reported they were able to increase production through Home Builders Blitz without significantly increasing their overhead.

The ultimate goal is to create ongoing partnerships with the building industry that will continue to benefit both builders and affiliates. In 2006, more than 50 percent of the builders that participated in Home Builders Blitz were engaged with their local Habitat for the first time. Ninety- four percent of the builders said their experience was either extremely positive or very positive. Builders continue

to return to the event because it is a satisfying way to give back to their communities while doing what they do best.

Each year, Home Builders Blitz also offers opportunities for partnerships with builders whose specialties may be outside of new residential construction. The blitz will
include rehabs and substantial repairs that follow the same model as new homes.

As affiliates and the building community prepare for this year’s Home Builders Blitz, new partnerships will be created, more homes will be built and, most importantly, more families will be served.