Happy birthday to U: Habitat U celebrates 1st anniversary as a public service

It’s officially been a year since we held our first Habitat U educational class open to the community! These classes, previously reserved for our future Habitat homeowners, are free and open to the public and focus on a wide variety of topics that are key to improving Orange and Osceola County residents’ financial health and being a responsible, successful homeowner.

The classes cover everything from balancing finances and estate planning to home maintenance and disaster prep. Since they expanded to our community on May 4, 2023, we’ve hosted 48 class sessions with 536 in attendance at our headquarters, virtually and at partner locations in our community. Classes are facilitated by Habitat staff and dedicated community partners from local banks, law firms, mortgage offices, and more, who donate their time and expertise.

“We believe that everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Catherine Steck McManus, president and CEO of Habitat Orlando & Osceola. “By expanding our Habitat U classes to the community, we are able to help even more of our neighbors Face The Housing Crisis™.”

Habitat U is made possible by generous supporters such as FAIRWINDS Foundation, which announced in March a $40,000 grant to continue funding the classes.

“Homeownership is more than just owning a property; it’s a vital pathway to building generational wealth and attaining financial freedom,” said Elisha González, vice president of community relations and government affairs at FAIRWINDS Credit Union and executive director of FAIRWINDS Foundation. “We are proud to support robust financial education programs like Habitat U that equip individuals with essential knowledge and tools to successfully navigate the complexities of homeownership.”

Habitat U classes are offered in 10 different subjects aimed at setting future homeowners up for success, whether they plan to purchase a home through Habitat or on the open market. We also debuted a Youth Summit, which focuses on financial literacy and community engagement for teenagers.

“Through our strategic partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando & Osceola County, we are promoting financial health and responsible financial management, which not only lays the groundwork for economic prosperity within communities, but also makes the dream of homeownership achievable for more individuals and families,” González said.

We have loved reading how our Habitat U students have benefited from our classes over the last year. Here are a few highlights:

“This class was very helpful and the hands on aspect made it very useful in understanding how to manage a budget.” – attendee of Financial Literacy: Budgeting class

“This class was awesome, enlightening, uplifting, educational and full of information I was not aware of.” – attendee of Disaster Preparedness class

“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the class even though right now I’m not able to pursue getting a home today. I still feel it has a lasting impact for my future and my goals and when I am actively pursuing my own home!” – attendee of Financial Literacy: Savings class