Since 1993, we have been serving the people of Northwest Orange County by providing housing and workforce housing for those in need. 

Over the years Habitat for Humanity of Greater Apopka has grown and flourished.  We have been able to build 32 homes, start a ReStore to sell home furnishing items to the community and recently opened a 4800-square-foot Home Improvment Center.  In 2008 we opened a 12-unit apartment building to house families with special needs, and there are plans to add a small community center on the adjoining parcel.

Habitat for Humanity is a faith-based organization that serves the community by offering a hand up, not a handout.  We build homes for the less fortunate, but we do not give the homes away.  Our families must have a source of income that can pay for the home.  We carefully screen our applicants, and when they are fully qualified we start them through a rigorous process towards ownership.  The applicants must give us 500 hours of "sweat equity" by working on their home, working at our affiliate or working on another home.  We build the home with donated materials if available, financial donations when they are available and through our volunteer builders.  The income from the ReStore is a crucial part of the cash that we need to build the home.  When the home is complete, we calculate the "cost" and provide the home at cost with a zero percent interest rate.  Habitat for Humanity of Greater Apopka also acts as the bank and holds one, two or even three mortgages if necessary.  The applicant becomes a "homeowner" with Habitat until the mortgage is paid off and they are the sole owner of the home.  A small "profit" may come from the use of volunteer builders, in which case that money is used to fund another new home or to buy more land.  It's simple and it works.  The key is that we need our volunteers and community donations to make this work.  Please think about volunteering, donating money or land or shopping at our store.

Thank you for your help.