Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity (SFHFH) has been helping hardworking Santa Feans build economic stability for their families through home ownership since 1987. We are wholly committed to building strong, thriving neighborhoods within Santa Fe County and the City of Santa Fe and are grateful for the mutually beneficial relationships we have established with local donors over the years. Through our partnership with the New Mexico Finance Authority (MFA), our donors are often able to leverage available New Mexico Affordable Housing Tax Credits with their gifts.

The Garcia family of Santa Fe gifted SFHFH a parcel of land adjacent to the Frank S. Ortiz Dog Park last year. As a nonprofit organization committed to affordable housing opportunities in Santa Fe, we are required to conduct our due diligence to assess the viability of the land as it pertains to developing additional housing. On July 20^th, Senator Martin Heinrich announced that the funding requested by SFHFH to explore the potential development of this parcel into mixed-income housing is part of the current Senate Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill. If passed, the $1.1 million appropriation from this bill will help Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity develop 25 to 30 affordable housing units.

No matter what the outcome of the current bill or our assessment of the potential development may be, our dedication to preserving trail and open space access for our neighbors utilizing the Dog Park remains unchanged. SFHFH will work with the City of Santa Fe to retain public access to the Dog Park from surrounding neighborhoods through this parcel of land. As part of our commitment to responsible stewardship of gifts such as this one, we proudly support open access for the public.

Our mission is to promote affordable homeownership for Santa Fe residents by constructing energy-efficient new homes and providing financial literacy education for our future homeowners. Each year, we vet numerous deserving families in need of decent, attainable housing through a comprehensive application process. Criteria includes repayment ability, level of housing need, and proactive commitment to partnering with SFHFH. Future homeowners, in addition to participating in financial education, also complete up to 500 hours of volunteering. Volunteers put sweat equity into building projects, often helping to construct their own Habitat home, and also assist in our Habitat ReStore.

The New Mexico Affordable Housing Tax Credits are offered to individuals and businesses that donate to eligible projects approved by MFA. These credits can be applied to income taxes, gross receipts taxes, and compensating taxes, with the exclusion of local option gross receipts tax that go directly to a municipality, county, or government. Credits can be claimed from donations of land, properties, buildings, cash, or services. SFHFH directs contributions such as these toward the development of single-family units to help households at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) become homeowners.

To date, Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity has helped 132 families become homeowners and build life-changing financial independence for generations to come. All donations to our organization stay in Santa Fe and are used for the betterment of our shared community. We are proud to partner with our donors, the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, MFA, and like-minded organizations who share our dedication to promoting a sustainable future for all.