2008 annual report

ANNUAL REPORT 2008

Building Homes. Building Hope.

ANNUAL REPORT 2008 | Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

VALUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

FROM THE BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

FROM THE CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BUILD UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

THE HABITAT MODEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

PARTNER FAMILIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

VOLUNTEERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

RESTORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

DONORS & SPONSORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

FINANCIAL SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver | ANNUAL REPORT 20082

VISION: A world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.

MISSION: To mobilize community partners and volunteers in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.


VALUES:

HOUSING FOR ALL We believe that access to safe, decent and aff ordable housing is a basic

human right that should be available to all.

HUMAN DIGNITY We believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. We respect

the people we serve and those that help us in this eff ort. People are our

greatest resource.

PARTNERSHIP We believe we can best achieve our mission through meaningful and

mutually benefi cial partnerships with others.

FAITH IN ACTION We believe that faith is lived through action. Building on our Christian

foundation, we serve and work with people of all faiths and beliefs in a

spirit of justice and compassion.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVENESS We believe there is a role for everyone committed to our vision, mission

and values and we seek to enrich our organization through diversity.


FROM THE BOARD

With each passing year we get stronger and increase our capacity to

serve families in need of safe and aff ordable housing. Th is year saw the

culmination of everyone’s hard work with the turning over of keys to

four more families.

Th e behind the scenes work by volunteers and staff is truly phenomenal.

A mountain of organising and paperwork lies behind the building of

each home, and while we would all rather just get out there and help a

family build their home, nothing worthwhile is ever that simple.

Everyone who contributes to getting the job done can be justifi ably proud

of the work accomplished, whether it is the family partnering with us for

the chance at their dream, volunteers on site or at the ReStores, staff in

their various roles, Board Members, donors of cash or materials — each

has a role to play. Like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece adds to the whole.

Having served as the Chair of this affi liate for the past two years, I want

to thank you all personally and from the rest of the Board for helping

to further the international movement of Habitat for Humanity. I

appreciate the work and dedication that makes us better at what we do. I

know there is much more to be done but that should never deter us from

celebrating what has been accomplished.

Th e success of Habitat for Humanity is dependant on the participation of

everyone in the community. Please take a moment, no matter what your

role, to be proud of what we have accomplished and to thank those who

have built upon your contribution.

Jim Lippert, Board Chair


FROM THE CEO

Th e power of a home goes far beyond the benefi t of shelter — and for

our volunteers, donors and supporters — they see the true value of their

commitment. Beyond the physical structure of a house, there is a family

whose dreams are coming true!

As I look back on our achievements over the past year, I am inspired

by witnessing our partner families, volunteers, donors, politicians and

professionals giving back… making a diff erence, taking action.

Th e dedication of four more homes in November was a reminder of the

importance of continuing to work hard to help more families become the

owners of decent, aff ordable homes.

Our goal for the coming year is to continue working on the Phase 5

homes at the Burnaby site, and search for another site to build even more

homes in the future.

I thank you for all you do… for all you give back, and I look forward to

our continued work together to transform our community for the better.

Anneke Rees

“It is the greatest gift that our family has ever been given. It has enhanced my feelings for the people in the community. I’ve always felt that I would never have a home — that I would always rent. It’s just unbelievable that so many people would work so hard to do this for someone they don’t even know. I can’t even express the gratitude and respect I have for everyone who volunteers.”

Margaret Van Essen, Habitat Partner Family


“No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anne Frank


Aft er many months of hard work, four more Habitat partner families

moved into their townhouses on Government Street in Burnaby.

On November 29, 2008, volunteers, donors, staff and sponsors of Habitat

for Humanity Greater Vancouver gathered together at the Dedication

Ceremony to present the families with the keys to their new homes.

Th e Burnaby build is now more than halfway to completion with 16

families and 32 children living in the community. Volunteers are already

hard at work building the Phase 5 townhomes in partnership with fi ve

more deserving Habitat partner families.

BUILD UPDATE:

“Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver has changed our lives, and we can’t express enough thanks to the organization, its sponsors and volunteers for all they have done. Our family is so thrilled to have been a part of this process, and we’re very much looking forward to moving into our new home. This is a day we will all remember for a very long time.”

Randy Forrester, Habitat Partner Family

“On behalf of myself and my family, I wish to express our thanks to Habitat for Humanity, volunteers, sponsors and all those who directly or indirectly contributed to this project. Without them, our dream of having a roof over us would have been just that – a dream. Our belief in the goodness of humanity has been enhanced by everyone involved. ”

Nawaz Soomro, Habitat Partner Family


“Charity begins at home and justice begins next door.” Charles Dickens


HOW THE HABITAT MODEL WORKS

1. We identify and work with low-income family partners who

would not be able to aff ord a traditional mortgage on their own.

2. Th rough individual, community, and corporate donations of

money, materials and labour, we work with the partner families

to build their home.

3. We sell the home to the partner families at market value as

determined by an independent third party. Th ere is no down-

payment and the mortgage is interest-free.

4. Mortgage payments are based on family income rather than

property value and are reviewed annually. Monthly payments

and taxes are capped at 25 percent of the families’ gross

household income.

5. Mortgages are held by Habitat until the mortgage is paid off .

Mortgage payments are reinvested back into building homes for

new families which makes Habitat a self-sustaining, permanent,

and tangible solution for aff ordable housing.

THE HABITAT MODEL:

“In my words, Habitat is about a community coming together to build homes for hardworking people who don’t make enough money to afford a [conventional] mortgage or a down-payment for a home. It also means having a home for your family, having roots in the community and a place to call your own.”



“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life — happiness, freedom, and peace of mind — are always attained by giving them to someone else.” Peyton Conway March


FAMILY SELECTION CRITERIA

Families must meet three basic criteria to be considered eligible

for selection:

1. Need for aff ordable housing — the family must be living in

inadequate rental housing which is too expensive, too small, unsafe,

or substandard;

2. Ability to repay a Habitat mortgage — requires that the family has

a stable income suffi cient to cover the monthly mortgage payments

and other expenses that come with home ownership; overall

family income must fall between pre-determined minimums and

maximums based on family size;

and

3. Willingness to partner with Habitat — families cannot receive the

keys to their home until they have performed 500 hours of sweat

equity. Th is is a mandatory requirement which serves to build self-

esteem; pride of ownership, and a feeling of community amongst the

partner families.

PARTNER FAMILIES:

DID YOU KNOW?

BC leads the nation in children living in poverty, with 22 percent of children in this province living beneath the poverty line.

CBC News, November 21, 2008


HOW PARTNER FAMILIES ARE CHOSEN

Each family is required to complete a detailed application form, which is

then reviewed by our Family Selection Committee, a staff -supported group

of volunteers who represent all aspects of society.

Th eir backgrounds include healthcare, education and social services so they

bring expertise with respect to various challenges faced by families and

children in low-income situations.

Committee members interview the family in their home and communicate

with the landlord and employers. References provided by the family are

checked and family fi nances and credit ratings are reviewed very carefully.

When all the criteria are met, we invite the family into partnership. An

agreement is signed and the family is required to volunteer 500 hours of

“sweat equity” before they are eligible to purchase their home.

We off er many ways to complete the sweat equity hours including helping

in the ReStore, assisting in fundraising eff orts, labouring on someone else’s

home and, of course, working on building their own home.

Families are required to attend training workshops to help them learn

about the responsibilities of home ownership. Th e program covers topics

such as setting goals, budgeting, use of credit, problem solving and how

to be part of strata. It is designed to prepare the family for the fi nancial,

property and community responsibilities that come with owning a home.


HOW THE HABITAT PROGRAM BENEFITS PARTNER FAMILIES AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY

• Over time, a families’ equity in their home increases. Habitat families

can oft en see an improvement in their fi nancial situation since the

percentage of their income being spent on housing remains at 25

percent. Prior to purchasing a Habitat home many of these families

spend over 50-70 percent of their income on rent.

• A safe, healthy living environment contributes to the positive growth

and development of children. Habitat has recorded many examples

of children within Habitat families becoming healthier, completing a

post-secondary education and establishing successful careers.

• Communities benefi t as former renters become homeowners who

contribute to the tax base. Habitat projects also off er an opportunity

for community members, from all walks of life, to come together and

work side by side in a meaningful way.

• Pride of ownership leads to a renewed sense of confi dence, and along

with their stable, long-term housing arrangement, Habitat partner

families become long-term contributors to the community and the

local economy.

“My daughter was doing re-bar with me. She was in high-school and here she was on her days off and weekends to help her mom build a house. It was incredible. It really brought our family together in a big way. It made really big changes in our home life. We’ve all become closer as a family because of it.”



“Thank you for such a wonderful day. We braved cold weather and we’re sure glad we did. The H4H experts gave great guidance and with such patience. This opportunity allowed us to share in some learning and some laughter — all while delivering on a great cause.” Nicole Yeasting, BC Housing


VOLUNTEERS:

It has been said that volunteers are the heart and soul of Habitat for

Humanity. At its inception, every aspect of Habitat for Humanity

Greater Vancouver was run completely by volunteers. Since then, the

organization has grown but still has volunteers at its core.

CONSTRUCTIONIn 2008, we completed four more homes with volunteers from all walks

of life providing over 18,000 volunteer hours. Th ey joined together for

the single purpose of providing safe, decent and aff ordable housing for

low-income working families in Metro Vancouver.

Our volunteers provide the majority of the labour for the overall

construction of each home. Although we use professionals for some

aspects of building, we are fortunate that many trades off er their

services at cost or less.

It isn’t just individual volunteers that make a diff erence; corporate

groups volunteer at our Burnaby site every week of the year. Corporate

Team Build days are a great way to spend time with co-workers or

clients and contribute to the community.

DID YOU KNOW?

Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity is a great way to learn new skills.

“Now I know how to paint, how to do insulation, I know how to do so many things in the house. I can even fi x my house myself when there is something wrong. It was such an experience — to build a house.”

Margaret Prempeh, Habitat Partner Family


BOARD & COMMITTEES

Th e Board of Directors volunteers their expertise to provide strategic

direction to the organization and populate several ongoing committees

such as Family Selection and Family Partnering.

BOARD MEMBERS AT DECEMBER 2008

Wayne Arondus, Kitchencraft

Joanne Campbell, BC Hydro

Virginia Edelstein, Volunteer Vancouver

Derek Hodgkinson, Canada Post

Elizabeth Huntsman, Retired

Jim Lippert, Retired

Ruby Ng, Communications Specialist

Anneke Rees, Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver

Neil Hunter, Rick Hansen Foundation

“I can’t say enough about the people who volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. They are the best people in the world. Everyone who’s there is there because they want to be there and you’ve never been on a worksite where there’s a happier group of people.”

Randy Forrester, Habitat Partner Family


OFFICE

Our regular offi ce volunteers assist with data entry, fi ling, photocopying,

recycling and who are willing to jump in and help with pretty much

anything else that needs to be done.

RESTORE

Our ReStore volunteers give us their time from Monday to Saturday

throughout the year, doing everything from cashiering, stocking shelves

to customer service. Because of their dedication, our ReStore revenue

increased by over 18 percent in 2008.

To recognize all of these amazing volunteers we held a volunteer

recognition BBQ at the Vancouver ReStore in August 2008, with over

80 people in attendance.

Th anks to everyone who lent us their heads, hearts and hands in 2008!

“It’s our privilege to go to the Vancouver ReStore every week. It gives us a sense of meaning and we feel we’re contributing to the community. Also we have a lot of fun and meet a lot of fun people.”

Laurie Pujo, Vancouver ReStore Volunteer

DID YOU KNOW?

Some of the merchandise in the ReStores is brand new and everything is priced at 50-80% less than retail.


“If we can spend the early decades of the 21st century fi nding approaches that meet the needs of the poor in ways that generate profi ts and recognition for business, we will have found a sustainable way to reduce poverty in the world.” Bill Gates


Th e ReStores are a place to discover. Customers from all walks

of life — contractors, builders, designers, home owners and

fi xer uppers — come to our store and fi nd great deals every day.

Every time a customer makes a purchase from one of our

ReStores, they are assisting us in building Habitat homes.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver operates two ReStores.

Th e original store at 2475 Douglas Road in Burnaby, and a

20,000 square foot site, located at 69 West 69th Ave in Vancouver.

Th e ReStores sell quality new and used building supplies,

appliances, and assorted home décor items at a fraction of retail

cost. Items are donated by local retailers, manufacturers, home

owners and movie productions. We are very appreciative of these

donations and the support we receive from our community.

Donating to and shopping at the ReStores helps Habitat for

Humanity build safe, decent, aff ordable homes for low income

working families in our community, while diverting tonnes of

material from entering the landfi ll.

RESTORE:

DID YOU KNOW?

Profi ts generated by the ReStores fund Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s operating costs, including salaries and utilities, which means that 100% of donations go directly into constructing safe, decent affordable homes.

Since the Burnaby Store opened in 2005, the ReStores have contributed more than $1.4 million towards the 27-unit townhouse community Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver is building on Government Street in Burnaby.

A1 Windows

Centra Windows Ltd.

Griff Building Supplies

Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre

Robinson Lighting & Bath Centre

Standard Building Supplies

The Home Depot

The HYDRECS Fund

TORLYS Smart Floor

Vancity

RESTORE SPONSORS


“I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” Mother Teresa


DONORS & SPONSORS:

We receive generous support from local and national companies,

organizations, community groups and individuals. Th anks to everyone

who supports Habitat for Humanity, low-income families become

homeowners, neighbourhoods are revitalized, and children are better

prepared to realize their potential in a safe, decent and stable home.

Without the help of our generous supporters, we would not be able to

continue our vital work. We extend our sincere gratitude to them and

invite you to join in partnering with Habitat for Humanity to create

aff ordable housing in Greater Vancouver.

In 2008, many people raised money for Habitat for Humanity Greater

Vancouver through third-party events such as golf tournaments, holiday/

housewarming parties, marathons and concerts.

We also adopted an online fundraising tool that makes it easy for our

supporters to create a fundraising page and collect donations on behalf

of Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver. Whether you fundraise on

your own, with a community group or as part of a corporate event, every

little bit helps and we greatly appreciate your contribution and support.

With sales from the ReStores covering our operations, every single dollar

you fundraise goes directly towards building homes for families.

“In fi ve months, I am already halfway to my goal of raising $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver. I have a link to Habitat’s online fundraising tool on my website. We all have networks of friends, family and colleagues who would be happy to support such a fantastic cause. One person can make a difference…all you have to do is ask!”

Wayne Helfrich, “The Puzzle Man”


House Sponsors

James Richardson & Sons, Limited

The Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia

Ventana Construction Corp

Half House Sponsors

The Home Depot Canada

eBay Foundation

MCAP

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver ReStore

Room Builders

Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of BC

GWL Realty Advisors with Gateway Property Management Co and Omicron

Teekay Corporation

Builders

AT&T

Capers Whole Foods Market

Citizens Bank of Canada

Commonwealth Insurance Company

Genworth Financial Canada

Habitat for Humanity Canada National Sustainable Building Program Fund

Investors Group

Macdonald Realty Ltd.

Mackenzie Financial Corporation

Taymor Industries

TD Canada Trust

Tonko Realty Advisors Ltd.

PHASE 4 LEAD PARTNERS

DID YOU KNOW?

Habitat for Humanity builds a house somewhere in the world every 19 minutes and has a brand value of $3.2 billion.

DID YOU KNOW?

In addition to making a difference locally, Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver tithes 10% of undesignated cash donations to Habitat Canada to be used for building homes in developing countries.


Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP

Ames Tile & Stone

Armtec

B. A. Robinson Co. Ltd.

BC Hydro

BC Plumbing Supplies

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating

CGC Inc.

Chambers Electrical Corp.

Cobra Interiors Ltd.

Columbia Bitulithic Ltd.

Dayton Manufacturing Co Ltd.

The Dow Chemical Company

Eaton Corporation

EA Black Box

First Canadian Title

GSW Water Heating

Hunter Douglas Canada

ICI Paints/CIL Paints

IPEX Inc.

James Hardie

Jordans

Keystone Environmental

Kitchen Craft Cabinetry

Lafarge Canada Inc.

Leviton Canada

Mainland Sand & Gravel Ltd.

Maple Leaf Disposal Ltd.

Masco Corporation

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

McGregor & Thompson Hardware Ltd.

New Life Community Church

Osram Sylvania

Owens Corning

PMI Canada

RBC Foundation

RJP Contracting Ltd.

Roofi ng Contractors Association of British Columbia

Schneider Electric Canada

Simpson Strong-Tie

SnapStone Inc.

Standard Building Supplies

Starline Windows

Styletto

Whirlpool Canada

Wolseley Canada

PHASE 4 SPONSORS AND GIFT IN KIND DONORS


$2,500,000

$2,500,000

$3,000,000

$2,000,000

$2,000,000

$1,500,000

$1,500,000

$1,000,000

$1,000,000

$500,000

$500,000

0

0

$2,000,000

$1,500,000

$1,000,000

$500,000

0

2008

2008

2008

2007

2007

2007

Sale of Constructed Properties

Interest

ReStore Revenues

Contributions, Grants and Donations

Cost of Constructed Properties Sold

ReStore Operations

Other Expenses

Administration (Administration costs include programming costs)

Mortgages Receivable

Equipment

Property under Construction

Cash and Short Term Assets

HABITAT’S REVENUES

HABITAT’S EXPENDITURES

HABITAT’S ASSETS

7%

63%

34%

23%

42%

42%

57%

5%

2%

2%

36%

3%

36%

32%

56%

8%

44%

3%

48%

30%

18%

7%


FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS ($) 2008 2007Contributions, Grants and Donations Proceeds $ 625,725 $ 584,756 Fund Raising Expenses (27,868) (37,817)

Net Contributions, Grants and Donations 597,857 546,939

Restore Operations Restore Revenues $ 988,890 $ 849,094 Restore Operating Expenses (751,167) (679,349)

Net Restore Operations 237,723 169,745

Constructed Properties (Note 1) Sale Proceeds (Note 2) $ – $ 451,984 Cost of Constructed Properties – (789,812) Mortgage Interest (Note 3) (6,457) (4,990)

Net Proceeds from Constructed Properties (6,457) (337,828)

General and Administration Expenses Administration $ (376,734) $ (333,389) Depreciation (30,819) (16,741)

Total General and Administrative Expenses (407,553) (350,140)

Interest Revenues $ 122,612 $ 39,312

Excess of Revenues over Expenditures $ 544,182 $ 68,038

Note (1) In 2008, four units were under construction and anticipated to be sold in 2009Note (2) Sale proceeds from property have been discounted by an inputed rate of 4.5% Note (3) Mortgage interest relates to mortgage assumed for the purchase of land

FINANCIAL SUMMARY:

PO Box 60577 Vancouver, BC V6H 4B9Phone: 604-681-5618 Fax: 604-326-0122

[email protected] www.vancouverhabitat.bc.ca

VANCOUVER RESTORE69 West 69th AvenueVancouver, BC V5X 2W6 Phone: 604-326-3055

BURNABY RESTORE2475 Douglas RoadBurnaby, BC V5C 5A9 Phone: 604-293-1898

[email protected]

2008 annual report

Documents

habitat model

board chairannual report

th e success of habitat

scenes work

building homes

aff ordable housing

affordable housing

board members