About Veterans Build

Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build is a national initiative to provide housing solutions and volunteer opportunities to U.S. veterans, military service members and their families. At Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, we build new construction homes and sell them to qualified Habitat Homebuyers with a zero percent interest mortgage. So, what activities does Veterans Build support? 

• Building: Provides simple, decent, energy-efficient and affordable housing solutions for military service members, veterans and their families.
• Employment: Capitalizes on skill sets gained from military service with recruitment targeting veterans as Habitat for Humanity International and local affiliate employees, board members and extended volunteers, national service members, interns and fellows.
• Volunteer engagement: Provides volunteer experiences that bring together veterans, military families and their neighbors. These experiences help bridge the gap and ease the transition to civilian life with fulfilling community engagement.

• Education: Provides access to financial literacy and financial education programs to support successful homeownership among veteran and military homeowners. Trains Habitat employees and community volunteers to understand the military culture in order to interact effectively with military service members and veterans.
• Honor: Hosts special events that raise awareness of veteran housing needs and honor their service. Target dates include Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the September 11 National Day of Service & Remembrance.

Volunteering at the Veterans Build

Join forces and salute a local veteran family by supporting Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build 2021. Habitat is grateful to our veterans for their service, and we are committed to helping support them in their housing need. This year, we are kicking off our first-annual Veterans Build. With your support, we can help Jena build a house with Habitat to ensure she and her three children have a safe and stable home.

Veterans Build Volunteer Opportunities

General construction volunteers are needed to build this year’s Veterans Build home. No experience is necessary, and volunteers work under the guidance of our experienced crew. Volunteer opportunities are available for tasks on the build site that could include:
​

• Framing walls
• Installing windows and doors
• Putting up siding
• Hanging drywall
• Cutting and nailing trim
• Painting
• Finish work
• And more!

Volunteer on the Build Site

Volunteer in the ReStore

​Facts About Veterans and Affordable Housing

1. The National Low Income Housing Coalition finds that 2.5 million veterans heading households are at least 55 years of age. Of those 2.5 million veterans, 24 percent have housing cost burdens. Unlike our older civilians, our older veterans are more likely to have a disability — 35 percent versus 28 percent — which may require home modifications, health and other supportive services as they age.
2. Our female veteran population is in need as well. According to a report by the National Housing Conference, nearly half of our veterans who are single mothers spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Our female veterans face significant economic and housing challenges and are particularly vulnerable to housing cost burdens compared with our overall veteran population.
3. Likewise, our most recent veterans who served following 9/11 have returned to a slow-growing economy and rising housing costs. These economic factors have made the transition from military service to civilian life difficult for many of our veterans.
4. In addition, nearly 4 million of our veterans pay at least 30 percent of their income toward rent or mortgage, while more than 1.5 million pay at least 50 percent. As you can imagine, using half of your income to pay your rent or mortgage is an enormous strain on any budget.

Meet the Smith Family

 Jena will be the first veteran we are partnering with to build an accessible home for. Jena joined the military with the plan to move her family, however, God had other plans for her and her three children. For the past five years, Jena has undergone several surgeries and has several surgeries ahead of her. After receiving an honorable discharge from the military Jena began looking into a safe stable home for her and her children.  Jena rents a home that all the bedrooms are on the 2nd floor. She has had to modify her rental home to accommodate the bathroom and a bedroom on the 1st floor for after her surgeries to be accessible.

Being on a fixed income Jena has experienced her rent increasing every year, purchasing an affordable home that will be accessible to her is a dream she cannot wait to be fulfilled. Jena looks forward to having her children's room on the first floor accessible to her and a bathroom that is modified to meet her needs. We look forward to partnering with Jena on building her home in 2021!

Veterans: Apply for Homeownership!

We open our Homeownership Program applications once a year to members of our community to build new construction homes for those who have a need for affordable housing, have the ability to pay the interest-free mortgage, and are willing to partner with Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity. If you are a veteran (active duty or retired and discharged) or family of the fallen and interested in partnering with Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity to own a home, please contact us today! 

APPLY FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP

How To Donate or Become a Partner of Veterans Build

Investing in Habitat's Veterans Build program allows companies and organizations to make a difference for veterans and active-duty service members and their families in the local community. By sponsoring Veterans Build,  you will support a Brown County family in addition to our local veteran and military community. Read more about sponsorship here. 

To make a donation, visit our support page and donate any amount in honor of a veteran or their family. 

Become a Partner