Voting for our local, state, and national representation has always been an important tradition in American life. Presidential elections by far get the most attention and highest voter turnout, in the 2020 national election the NC voter turnout had around a 75% turnout and the 2021 municipal election had a 15% turnout. However, that does not mean that other elections aren’t just as important. In many ways, local elections actually have a more direct impact on our lives. In terms of affordable housing, municipal governments have some powerful tools at their disposal.

Local budgets across Wake County and Johnston County have now been officially approved for the 2024 Fiscal Year. And thanks to Habitat Wake’s Advocacy Ambassadors and hundreds of community members advocating for affordable housing funding, local decision makers made significant investments in our community. Advocates wrote comments, spoke at the budget hearings, and attended the hearings decked out in their Habitat t-shirts.

On Saturday, June 17th, elected officials from across Wake and Johnston counties came out to Old Poole Place in Raleigh to join in Elected Officials Build Day. Fifteen members of municipal, county, state governments and staff participated by lending their time and energy to building houses alongside Habitat volunteers.

An Easter message by Rick Beech, VP of Faith Relations 
 

In the Christian tradition, we are in the Easter season. Easter pivots around two days. On Friday, there is the crucifixion. It is as dark as it gets. It appears that darkness wins. On Sunday, there is the resurrection. It is as light as it gets. Hope wins. 

On Wednesday, March 22, advocates from across Wake County came together to participate in Habitat Wake’s 2nd annual Local Lobby Day.

Throughout the day, Habitat volunteers, homebuyers, homeowners, and concerned residents met with local elected officials from the Wake County Commission and Raleigh City Council.  

This is an adapted version of a guest sermon given by Rick Beech, Habitat Wake VP of Faith Relations, on January 29, 2023 at Pleasant Grove United Methodist. 

While on earth, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God more than anything else. The Kingdom that Jesus was announcing, however, was not the Kingdom that many were expecting. This Kingdom would not be about power, nationalism, or triumphalism. It would be a new way of being for all of humanity. It would be the Kingdom of love and humility.

Habitat Wake is excited to introduce three new Advocacy Committee members as we kick off the new year! Our Advocacy Committee includes 14 community members connected to affordable housing through policy expertise, relationships to local government, community organizing or lived experience.  

Everyone deserves the personal and economic stability of a safe, affordable home.

For a home to be affordable, housing expenses must be less than 30 percent of a family's income. In Wake and Johnston counties, one in four families spends too much of their income on housing, leaving little left over for other necessities like food, transportation, education and healthcare.