In an effort to address local housing crisis, Charlotte area nonprofits to merge
Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region and Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County are merging Oct. 1, the nonprofit announced Tuesday.
The combined entity will go by the name of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region, according to Laura Belcher, its president and CEO.
No employees will be fired or laid off as a result of the merger, Belcher told The Charlotte Observer.
Habitat in Gaston County, which was a separate nonprofit, initiated the merger, said Patrick Mumford, its board chairman.
After a change of leadership last year, Mumford said the board decided the merger was its best path toward helping people in need of housing there.
Habitat Charlotte Region agreed a merger would benefit them both with serving more families, Belcher said.
The Habitat Charlotte’s fundraising unit, volunteer-coordination unit and construction unit made the merger attractive for Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County, Mumford added.
Why the merger made sense for both sides
The organizations’ strengths and weaknesses complement each other toward their goal of addressing the local and national housing crisis, Belcher said.
Habitat in Gaston County has dozens of available lots to build houses on, but it doesn’t have a construction staff. Meanwhile Habitat Charlotte Region has a construction staff, but lacks the land to build houses on.
“We can utilize the experienced construction group there in Charlotte,” Mumford said. “It allows us to jumpstart the transition of the organization in Gaston County. We’ve been here over three decades, and we’re going to remain here. We’re just going to be able to serve more people.”
The merger also brings Habitat Charlotte Region’s critical home repair and financial literacy programs to Gaston County.
Belcher said the financial literacy program prepares individuals and families to buy a home, and the critical home repair program primarily helps low-income seniors repair critical house systems, such as roofing, foundation, HVAC, electrical and plumbing.
The addition of Gaston County also expands Habitat’s geographic footprint and impact. The organization also merged in 2020 with the Our Towns Habitat for Humanity affiliate in North Mecklenburg County and Iredell County.
Habitat Charlotte Region now serves Mecklenburg, Iredell and Gaston counties.
Belcher said the merger also strengthens the organization’s balance sheet, enabling it to make more bulk purchases.
“Locally and nationally, we have a housing crisis,” Belcher said. “It’s getting worse, not better, so we need to really look at what are the creative solutions. How do we serve more families, and how do we do that efficiently and effectively? We felt like leveraging the strengths and assets of both organizations (...) was a clear response to the crisis that exists in our local community.”
The combined organization
After the merger, 16 employees working in Gaston County will join Habitat Charlotte, bringing the combined total to 236 employees, according to Belcher.
It also adds a ReStore location, which sells furniture appliances and building materials at below retail prices, to Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region’s six ReStores.
The Gaston County office will add to the mix of Charlotte Habitat Region offices, which are located in Charlotte, Pineville, Cornelius, Mooresville and Statesville.
The total operating budget for the merged nonprofit is over $52 million, Belcher said, but Gaston County will increase the budget by $1.5 million.
Belcher said the nonprofit is still working to determine how many more people will be served after merger.
About Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region
Founded in 1983, Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region for four decades has helped build houses for Charlotte’s residents in need.
The nonprofit has served over 4,200 families and given over $10 million in international donations through partner organizations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Cambodia.
The first Habitat for Humanity home built by an all-female crew was built in Charlotte in 1991.
This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
