Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity ApplicationWorkforce Housing Services Program - Request for Proposals
FY23-24
*indicates a required field
Applicant Information
Corporate/Entity Name Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
Type of Applicant Private Incorporated Non-Profit Agency with IRS 501(c)(3)
Designation
Applicant Established Date
& State
February 20th, 1987, North Carolina
Organization Principal
Name and Title
Lauren McKenzie, Executive Director
Principal Email Address lauren@capefearhabitat.org
Principal Phone Number 9107624744, ext. 101
Please include the name, phone number, and email address of the person that
should receive updates about the status of your proposal.
Contact Name Lana Svensson
Contact Email Address grants@capefearhabitat.org
Phone Number 9107624744, ext. 105
Preferred Contact Method Email
In addition to the above, non-profit organizations must provide:
• 501(c)3 Determination Letter
• List of Board Members with Terms
• Organization By-laws
• Articles of Incorporation
• Current Year Operating Budget
• Most Recent Financial Statement, Audit, and 990
501(c)3 Determination
Letter
501(c)3 Determination Letter.pdf
List of Board Members with
Terms
List of Board Members with Terms.pdf
Organization By-Laws Cape Fear Habitat Organization By-Laws.pdf
Articles of Incorporation Articles of Incorporation.pdf
Current Year Operating
Budget
FY23-24 Current Year Operating Budget.pdf
Most Recent Financial
Statement
FY22-23 Most Recent Financial Statement.pdf
Most Recent Audit Most Recent Audit 2022.pdf
Most Recent 990 Most Recent 990.pdf
Project Summary
Project/Program Name Affordable & Permanent Homeownership for Low-to Moderate-
Income Families in Cape Fear Habitat Haven Place
Development
Number of
Units/Households to be
Assisted
35 Units
Estimated Total
Project/Program Cost
$9,653,539
WHSP Funding Requested
(Maximum $1.5 Million)
$1,000,000
Project Location/Address Haven Place, 3101 Castle Hayne Road, Castle Hayne, NC
28429
Please upload a location
map clearly indicating the
project site or program
service area.
Haven Place Location Map.pdf
Are you requesting an
award in the form of a low-
interest loan or a grant?
Grant
If requesting a loan, please
describe the loan
Field not completed.
terms/interest rate
requested.
Indicate if the request is for
pre-development or
construction financing.
Cape Fear Habitat is seeking a grant for construction of new
affordable single-family housing units for sale through Cape
Fear Habitat’s homeownership program for fiscal year 2023-24.
Project Type Construction (including site work, infrastructure, operational,
and design costs) of new affordable single-family or multifamily
housing units for sale or rent
Project Narrative
Earliest Project/Program
Start Date
Infrastructure work began spring 2023. Construction is
estimated to begin in March 2024.
Anticipated completion
date of sale/ rental/
occupancy
The anticipated completion date is March 2027.
Strategic Goals Addressed Increasing Housing Stock, Improving Housing Stock,
Increasing Housing Access
Describe how your project
will address the strategic
goal(s) listed above.
*Character restriction: additional proposal narrative to address
this question attached as "Supporting Narrative."
Increasing Stock: At Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, it is our
objective to create opportunities for affordable homeownership
that are accessible to low-to-moderate income families. In our
Haven Place neighborhood development, we will build 35
permanently affordable housing units that will be available
starting next year. This project will increase stock by providing
35 units for sale at an affordable mortgage and increasing the
county property tax base by an estimated $10.5 million.
Improving Stock: Many of the homes currently on the market at
an affordable price may require significant rehabilitation costs
to make the homes sustainable and livable. Cape Fear Habitat
builds high quality homes while still ensuring affordability. All
homes are built to standards as defined by SystemVision, the
nation’s only affordable housing guarantee program.
Increasing Access: In efforts to increase access to affordable
housing through our Homeownership Program, we recognize
that a significant prerequisite for access is awareness. Cape
Fear Habitat has spent the last year increasing outreach efforts
by hiring a Community Outreach Coordinator and making all
programs accessible for Spanish-speaking families.
Strategic Priorities Addressed
Shovel Ready/Operational
by July 2024
Infrastructure work has begun on the development with home
construction anticipated to begin in March 2024. Typical
completion for new builds takes approximately four to five
months, depending on the permitting process, weather, and
unforeseen supply chain issues. Closing and occupancy are
available to the homeowner immediately upon project
completion.
Cape Fear Habitat has two construction crews, a corps of
experienced regular volunteers, and hundreds of other
volunteers, including future homeowners. One additional
construction crew member is in the process of being hired to
fully staff our construction team.
Leverage of Funding Other Sources of Funding – Cape Fear Habitat leverages a
diverse funding base for its home construction through:
Donations (41%)
Grants (23%)
Mortgage Payments (30%)
Other Funding (4%)
ReStore Sales (2%)
Grants and Donations – These will come from a broad base of
funders, including:
House Sponsorships – $630,000
Individual Donations – $439,500
Events – $286,250
Other Grants – $257,500
Government Funding (NCHFA, City of Wilmington, New
Hanover County Non-County Agency) – $181,500
Local Faith Communities – $150,000
Cape Fear Habitat maintains stringent financial oversight of all
our operations. We undergo an independent annual audit, and
our finances are monitored on a monthly basis by the Board of
Directors and finance committee. Over the years, our
creditworthiness has been affirmed through various lending
relationships, including Wells Fargo and Dogwood State Bank.
We have been approved for a significant unsecured line of
credit. While having access to credit is a best practice for
financial management, Cape Fear Habitat has not had to utilize
this resource. We uphold the highest fundraising standards and
have received a platinum rating for accountability and
transparency through GuideStar and Candid. Cape Fear
Habitat meets all compliance requirements, including insurance
and e-Verify.
Period of Affordability Cape Fear Habitat homeowners’ typical mortgage length is 30
years. While some homeowners may satisfy this early, our
deed restrictions provide us the first right to repurchase all
Cape Fear Habitat homes; this allows us to keep housing stock
at a permanently affordable status. When Cape Fear Habitat
homeowners decide to sell their homes, our deed restrictions
on all builds and rehabs allow us to quickly perform renovations
and return them to the stock of affordable homes for sale.
Additionally, when families relocate and use their generated
wealth to purchase a home outside of our program, they build
equity and financial resilience. We have expanded our
homeownership program to include classes on and
opportunities to secure wills, helping homeowners facilitate the
transfer of their homes to their heirs and maintain affordable
housing security for generations. Our anticipated period of
affordability will last well beyond 30 years.
Target AMI 60% to 120% Cape Fear Habitat serves families at 30% - 80% AMI through
our Homeownership Program. All homes will be sold at
appraised value; however, we ensure mortgage payments will
not exceed 30% of families’ household income. Calculated at a
0% interest rate, we anticipate the average payable mortgage
to be $170,000 based on homeowner affordability.
With the families currently enrolled in our Homeownership
Program, we anticipate:
42% of units will serve 30%-50% AMI
58% of units will serve 50-80% AMI
Acceptance of Housing
Choice Vouchers
Some Cape Fear Habitat families are eligible for housing
choice vouchers. By providing them the opportunity to
purchase an affordable housing unit, it will free up voucher
resources for other families in our community. In our 36-year
experience, we have assisted many families in the voucher
program and helped them pivot from public assistance,
including public housing, to become independent homeowners.
Describe how WHSP
funding will expand existing
programs and/or projects, if
applicable.
A primary goal of our strategic plan is to produce more
affordable homeownership opportunities, doubling the number
of families we serve to 500 by 2025. To do that, we must
increase our production and have adequate land inventory to
serve those families. While we are meeting our goals in more
rural counties, we are faced with depleted land stock and
urgency around land acquisition in New Hanover County.
Without developable land, as well as the ability to purchase
existing housing stock and rehabilitate it, our goals will be
delayed. Leveraging funds through WHSP will not only allow us
to build more units but free up financial resources to make
future land acquisitions and continue providing homeownership
opportunities for low- to moderate-income families.
Furthermore, WHSP funding will allow us to leverage other
funding support to develop our programming, homeownership
education, and advocacy efforts.
Tell us how your proposal
supports New Hanover
County's commitment to
diversity, equity, and
inclusion.
*Character restriction: additional proposal narrative to address
this question attached as "Supporting Narrative."
Cape Fear Habitat is dedicated to addressing the systems of
oppression that result in inequitable outcomes for people of
color and minority populations. The majority of the families we
serve are Black and Hispanic/Latino with low- to moderate-
income. Our staff actively works to remove barriers to
participation with outreach to underserved areas of the
community. We have an ongoing commitment to engage
communities that have been historically marginalized and
embrace diversity at the client, staff, and board levels. As an
Equal Housing Lender, it is our responsibility to serve families
from a variety of backgrounds. To properly serve such a
diverse group of individuals, we must also be made up of a
diverse group of employees, volunteers, and board members.
We create this inclusive environment through a variety of
measures, beginning with our board. We approach board
recruitment strategically, actively engaging with individuals
from a variety of ages, occupations, races, and cultural
heritage. Recently instituted term limits also help promote
board succession which actively fosters diversity.
Describe how your
development will comply
with the Federal Fair
Housing Act.
Cape Fear Habitat’s mission is rooted in equity and fair housing
practices and we comply with all Federal regulations regarding
fair housing practices as we are a housing lender. We do not
discriminate based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, gender
identity, sexual orientation, intersectionality, country of origin,
or ability, as well as cultural, political, religious, or other
affiliations. As required by HUD, Cape Fear Habitat for
Humanity adopts affirmative marketing procedures and
requirements for all Habitat homes.
Additional Information
Project Budget/Pro Forma
(must be the spreadsheet
provided)
Final Housing Program Budget (Services and Programs).xlsx
Tell us if/how the project is
supported by any other
New Hanover County grant,
funding, or contribution.
Please include the type and
amount of funding,
contribution, etc.
$45,000 Non-County Agency Grant: 2023-2024, current
funding to support new home construction in Haven Place.
$945,500 Water & Sewer Infrastructure Grant: 2021-2022,
previous funding to support the infrastructure of Haven Place.
$443,437 Land Donation from the county: 2019-2020, previous
conveyance of land for Haven Place.
Resume of staff who will
manage the project.
Resumes of Management Staff.pdf
Three examples of past
experience, including
project title, description,
number of
units/households assisted,
project year, and location.
Past Project Experience.pdf
Site/Eligibility Criteria
• Evidence the site is not impacted by environmental problems such as a
brownfield and flood hazard, if applicable
• Evidence of appropriate zoning for proposed project, if applicable
• Preliminary site plan for project site, if applicable
• Evidence of water and sewer accessibility and availability, if applicable
Evidence that site is not
impacted by environmental
problems
Field not completed.
Evidence of appropriate
zoning
Field not completed.
Preliminary site plan Haven Place Prelimiary Site Plan.pdf
Evidence of water/sewer
availability
Field not completed.
Describe how your policies
and procedures give access
to housing for residents
with credit challenges or
who may have been
involved with the legal
system (or upload to the
right, if applicable).
Cape Fear Habitat does not require a minimum credit score for
program participation and enrollment. While in the program,
future homeowners meet monthly with our Nationally Certified
Credit Counselor to improve their credit and manage debt.
Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity requires all members of each
household at or above the age of 18 to consent to a criminal
background check as a condition of further consideration for
our Homeownership and Repair Programs. Records of arrests
on pending charges and/or convictions are not an absolute bar
to approval of the application. Such information will be used to
determine whether the results of the background check
reasonably bear on trustworthiness or the person’s ability to
perform the duties as a homeowner in a manner which is safe
for Cape Fear Habitat’s staff, volunteers, neighbors, and other
community members. Assessments of the results use a points-
based system to help determine if we may move forward. In
situations where final score is neither a pass or fail but instead
falls in the middle-range, the context and any other relevant
information provided by the person about their unique situation
surrounding what happened, and the growth that may have
taken place since it happened, is taken into consideration for
the Director of Homeowner Services and Executive Director to
make a final decision.
Fair Housing
policies/procedures
Fair Housing Policies Affirmative Marketing Plan 2023.pdf
Letters of support from
other funding sources.
Letters of Support.pdf
Additional Uploads NCA Funding Commitment.pdf
Additional Uploads Supporting Narrative.pdf
Additional Uploads Field not completed.
Is there anything else you'd
like to tell us about your
proposal?
*Character restriction: additional proposal narrative to address
this question attached as "Supporting Narrative."
In addition to the New Hanover County Housing Goals, our
mission at Cape Fear Habitat and our 35-unit affordable
housing development, Haven Place, are directly aligned with
the 2023 recommendations from the Workforce Housing
Advisory Committee. The committee’s recommendations to
“Reduce Barriers to, and Support the Production and
Preservation of a Diversity of Housing Options,” and “Expand
Housing Counseling & Financial Literacy Programs” would be
achieved with the support from New Hanover County’s
Workforce Housing Services Program. Funding for the
construction of Haven Place would provide homeownership
opportunities for low- to moderate-income families, as well as
allow us to leverage other sources of funding for program
sustainability and expansion.