Economy | Housing Coalition

A New Way to Donate

There are many people in need in the world today. You frequently hear about those who live in poverty in other countries, but the question sometimes arises: What about people in the U.S. who are struggling? What about those who are living in homeless shelters, or even worse, on the streets? How can you help these people? There are many ways to help, and microgiving, or crowd funding, is a way to help many people who need it, even if you don’t have much to spare yourself.

There are many options when you consider microgiving. Through companies such as microgiving.com, you can find individuals or companies that are looking for donations. Many of the needs relate to charity projects or the economic crisis. For example, you may find a family that is struggling to pay a mortgage because the parents lost their jobs. By donating just a little bit of money, generally as little as $5 or $10, you can help these people get back on their feet. The company also does everything that it can, including requesting paperwork to verify the economic crisis, to verify that you are helping real people with a real problem.

Another way that you can help out is by donating to a charity project through crowd funding. There are many people putting together charity projects to help fund projects such as public parks or community gardens. Maybe an old park needs updated playground equipment for the children in the area. By donating, you are helping the neighborhood thrive. Some, though not all, charity projects to which you can donate may be tax deductible, as well.

Helping people, whether a family in an economic crisis or through a charitable organization, is a growing trend. With more and more people finding out about things like crowd funding, the world is becoming a more helpful place. The more people give, the better the world will be.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Charitable organization, crowdfunding, Donation

The Economy Won’t Steal Your Job If You Don’t Let It

You can make money not matter what kind of state the economy is in. If you can move and work with your hands and think with your brain you can make money. There is always work out there that needs to be done you just have to put forth the effort to find it. It gets hard trying to find work and if you are not finding any work with the question you are continually asking then it’s time to change your questions.

Try a different approach to the job sector if you are not able to find a job the way you are looking right now. Instead of trying to find a job to work for someone start working for yourself and start making your own product. You don’t need thousands of workers and a whole industry complex to make money by producing a product. A bum on the street can make money by selling twisted pieces of tin that he made into artwork. If a bum can make money in this economy you can make money the only thing that is keeping you from a dollar is you.

You might need to make more than just a few bucks a day with all of your living expenses, but the point is to start making money. Making a few bucks here and there is better than sitting around doing nothing to help your situation. The economy isn’t bad just people’s view on the economy. So what if the largest economy in the world slows down it doesn’t mean that anyone is stopping you from making a buck. Use your imagination and put your abilities to the test and try to find out what you can sell or do to make some cash.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Money

Habitat for Humanity Help Others in Economic Crisis.

Now, more than ever, families all over the world need adequate housing. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that provides housing for needy families, below certain income levels. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity couldnâ€™t be available at a more opportune time with thousands upon thousands of families in the United States losing their homes.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 95 million people have housing issues in the United States. These issues include home owner that have a mortgage too high for their income levels, over crowding problems, homelessness as well as housing that is inadequate to live or raise a family in. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that is providing adequate and affordable housing to people, not just in the United States, but around the world based on a families needs and ability to pay.

Habitat for Humanity and their efforts to provide adequate housing have improved the prevention of diseases, such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and malaria. The efforts of Habitat for Humanity also create better neighborhoods, which attract investment opportunities and provide stability and security for neighborhoods, that at one time, may have been considered unsalvageable.

When building houses, Habitat for Humanity uses volunteers from around the community in order to keep the cost of production low and housing more affordable. Habitat also requires any applicants that apply for a Habitat for Humanity home and accepted, to put in so many hours or â€œsweat-equityâ€ building houses for others before getting a Habitat home of their own built. This contributes to a stronger community by helping others who are in financial crisis, and Habitat for Humanity rewards these efforts from others by providing them with a home as well, if needed. Making future homeowners work on their home as well as others around the community will develop pride in a community, knowing how hard they had to work to achieve what they now have.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity International, United States

Applying for Habitat for Humanity Housing and What to Expect.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization that builds housing for needy families, who fall below certain income levels, around the world. According to the Habitat for Humanity website 95 million Americans need housing based on a variety of different circumstances.

The first step in applying for a Habitat home is finding a local Habitat for Humanity office. This can be done online, or by calling the toll free number listed on the Habitat website. These resources will tell you how to apply as well as providing information on the types and pricing fo homes available in your area.

After submiting an application for a Habitat home certain qualifications must be met by the applicant. While qualifications differ from state to state and community and community, the most common qulifications that must be met are; legal residency, ability to afford a home, proven steady income and good credit.

Once accepted applicants must realize that their work is not over. Accepted applicants are required to maintain a savings account, provide an affordable down payment on a home, as well as complete “sweat-equity” hours on other Habitat for Humanity homes being built in the community; including their own. Applicants are also required to attend home ownership classes, preparing them for home ownership and what to expect. This class is a huge home owner asset, as most do not know what to expect when signing a contract on a home.

Habitat for Humanity, based on these qulifications, chooses what are called “partner families” who would be the best candidates for a habitat home. Habitat for Humanity doesn’t descriminate against race or religion when determining proper home applicants and are only selected based on need and ability to pay a mortgage. Habitat for Humanity helps families of all ages making this organization a much needed blessing in times of economic hardship and instability.

Filed Under: Economy, Homeless Tagged With: Habitat for Humanity International, Sweat equity, United States

Helping Build With Habitat For Humanity

Habitat for humanity is one of the worlds largest and most extensive affordable housing projects. Habitat for humanity was started in 1976 by a wealthy lawyer and his wife, who believed that they should be using their wealth and opportunities to help other around the United States who were struggling to find safe and affordable housing.

Because of the success and hard work of all the volunteers and employee’s in the Habitat family, the non-profit organization has grown immensely and now has offices and programs running in 100 different countries across the world. Habitat for humanity is a great volunteer opportunity because it provides the volunteers with hands on experience with home building from the ground up, as well as, provides them with an opportunity to give back and be recognized for their hard efforts. Here are just a few ways that individuals can help Habitat for Humanity.

Three Volunteer Opportunities With Habitat For Humanity

1. Volunteer In Your Community- Habitat for Humanity offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including volunteering locally in the community. Habitat has programs that last anywhere from four days to two weeks and involves learning the carpentry trade, helping to renovate homes that have been damaged, and joining groups on a daily basis to go out and help at any Habitat event.

2. Volunteering In Your Country- Aside from volunteer opportunities in the community, Habitat also offers programs where individuals can travel across America for two to six months helping on different projects in different parts of the country.

3. Volunteering Over Seas- Because the success of the Habitat projects and its expansion overseas, now volunteers have the opportunity to travel to a foreign country for a certain amount of time to learn and be involved in the whole rebuilding process.

Habitat for Humanity is a great way to get involved and volunteer to make somebodies life better and more comfortable.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Habitat for Humanity International, United States, Volunteer

Private Companies Coming To The Aid Of Public Officials

: Image via Wikipedia

For many years private companies have been joining together to with public offices to create contracts for civil municipalities. Since the beginning of sub-division public offices have accepted bids for private trash, and recycling removal, as well as, power and water companies. This was done to bolster the private sector and take the burden of the government and tax payer to shoulder the costs of civil municipal projects.

Since the beginning of the most recent recession Americans all over the country have been losing their homes and apartments due to sub prime mortgage failures and with the state and federal government trying to take the reigns, the debt and displacement of Americans was only slightly improved. However, private companies all over the country saw the realization of all the countries debt swallowing up the capabilities of the government.

In order stop the bleeding and restore the housing economy, companies across the U.S. are teaming up with public services to hedge the costs of developing affordable homes that can be acquired with out sub prime mortgages. There are many benefits to a public/private partnership. Here are just a few.

Two Reasons Why Public/Private Partnerships Are Important

1. Hedge Costs- The initial costs of building subdivisions is immense and sometimes crippling. With the help of private companies the public organizations can defer some of the initial costs to the company with a promise to pay them back over time. This creates breathing room for not only the public entity but also drives down the cost of the housing for the individual.

2. Bolsters Economy- By creating jobs and building projects the economy sees an influx of cash flow that can be spent or saved, but helps to put money back in people pockets and delays the need for a higher tax. As well, allowing private companies to be a part of building projects bolsters capitalism.

The power of private companies and public entities working together will prove to be the future.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Privately held company, Public services, United States

Benefits Of The 2009 Recovery Act

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Since the collapse of Wall Street in late 2007, different government organizations have been joining together to combat the ever looming fear of poverty. With the loss of millions of jobs and the ability to feed their children many Americans turned to the government to help make up the differences that were lost in the collapse of so many important industries. However, thanks to the Recover Act of 2009, written shortly before the market bottomed out, millions of Americans were protected through various government programs and essentially saved from poverty.

The role of the government was vital in ensuring the millions of American’s would make it through the recession with out falling into poverty and seeing their lives pushed into disarray. Here are just a few of the government programs that aided those in trouble during the last year.

Three Government Aid Programs of Recovery Act

1. Federal Unemployment- Through the expansion of federal unemployment packages 1.3 million individuals were able to apply and receive money from the federal unemployment agency.

2. Child Tax Credits- Because of improvements and funds that bolstered child tax credits 1.5 million American families received aid for the taxes and expenditures related to child rearing.

3. Food Stamps- 700,000 families and individuals were helped through the implementation of more food stamp programs and ebt cards for struggling Americans all over the country.

According to the Census Bureau the Recovery Act of 2009 helped roughly 4.5 million Americans to stay above the poverty line and to continue to feed their families and themselves. Programs such as the Recovery Act are vital if not necessary to ensuring that all families have the same opportunities no matter how bad the economy gets. The people who are provided a better life know the importance of these programs when they look in the faces of their healthy children, every day.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Poverty, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, United States

Affordable Housing By City

When deciding to buy a home cost is most likely the most important aspect. It tells a person in what neighborhood they can afford to buy a home but it also tells a person what kind of home they can afford. Often times people choose to buy plots of land that they like and then they build a smaller house on the plot of land that they buy. Also, sometimes people may choose to knock down an existing home and rebuild the home of their dreams right on top of it.

However, whether you are building your dream home or lucky enough to find one that already has everything you want, it’s important to remember that when buying a home or anything like it, that getting the bang for your buck you want is what will make the difference between a dream home or a stressful mortgage.

Finding the most bang for the buck usually means looking geographically. Often the median income in large cities will be the same, but the prices of homes can be five to six, even seven times greater than the median income. Therefore for some people when looking for a new home means figuring out where to settle down and what will provide their family with the greatest amount of economic freedom while still leaving in a home that they love. Here some of the best priced cities for homes.

Cities Where Homes Affordable

1. Pittsburgh

2. Detroit

3. Cleveland

4. Indianapolis

5. Atlanta

6. Greensboro

7. Detroit

8. Dallas

These cities are some of the most affordable because they fall in a category close to the median income of families in these cities. That also means that not only can families purchase homes easier but can also pay them off quicker then other parts of the United States that can anywhere from 35 to 50 year mortgages.

Filed Under: Economy, Low-Income Housing Tagged With: Affordable housing, Atlanta, United States