Highland Lakes Habitat for Humanity Staff

Committees

The committee chairpersons are not necessarily members of the Board of Directors of Highland Lakes Habitat for Humanity but they do report each month to the board at the normal monthly board meeting concerning all activates the committee may be involved in at that time.

Each committee chairperson will coordinate with other committee chairpersons who are in need of information, which will help them complete, their activities.

Within each committee description listed below appears the committee name or names with which the originating committee should be sharing information and coordinating their activates.

To become a member of the Board of Directors, Chairperson of a Committee or to serve on a committee click on the Volunteer Form

SITE SELECTION
This committee is responsible for identifying potential sites for home construction. This includes working with local government officials to acquire land or building lots, to determine the cost of the property and which local government taxing authorities are owed back taxes, if any, and who to contact within the taxing authority to determine if the taxing authority will forgive the taxes currently due. Committee personnel are also responsibility for building a close personal relationship with the key personnel within the taxing authorities.
This committee will work with and coordinate with the President of the Board, the Construction Committee, the Family Selection Committee, local taxing authorities and local realtors.

CONSTRUCTION
This committee is charged with the overall construction program and should have an interest in or knowledge of home construction. The responsibilities may include, but not limited to, surveying, architectural plans, building codes, permits, volunteer labor, trade labor, or securing building supplies and materials.

When a property is selected by the Site Selection Committee it is the responsibility of the Construction Committee to determine if the property is buildable (Not in a flood plain or have any easements or other obstructions on the property making it unusable as a home site.) and if there is water, sewer, electric, and telephone available at the property line. The committee will also determine what permit(s), if any, are required and from which government agencies these permit(s) are required as well as the cost of the permit(s) and the method and paperwork required to secure these permit(s).

The Committee Chairperson will them submit is findings to the Board of Directors for purchase approval.

With Board approval the property information will be submitted to the President who will begin the purchase process as well as appear before all taxing authorities to determine if all taxes due will be forgiven.

After the property has been purchased the control of the property will be returned to the Construction Committee at which time the Construction Committee Chairperson will authorize the House Leader and the Team Leaders to begin the building process.

This committee will work with and coordinate with the President of the Board, Site Selection Committee, Volunteer Relations Committee, Family Selection. Committee, and the Cost Procurement Committee.

This person will be HLHFH's designate to the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) & will register each home with TRCC when completed by HLHFH & within 15 days after closing has taken place.

FAMILY SELECTION

Applicants for Highland Lakes Habitat for Humanity partnerships must demonstrate:

a need for adequate housing
the ability to pay for an interest-free 20-year mortgage

a willingness to partner with Habitat by contributing a total of 300 "sweat equity" hours and completing the Crown Financial Ministries course and at least one training session in home improvements.

Highland Lakes Habitat for Humanity income guidelines state that the partner families must have a documented income of no less than $12,500 per year.

This committee is responsible for finding partner families, interview them and work with the families who have applied to determine their eligibility as a HLHFH Partner Family.

The committee will determine if the applicant family meets Habitat's requirements for homeownership: need for shelter, ability to pay a Habitat mortgage & willingness to partner with Habitat in its ministry by working on a Habitat home being built or other assigned Habitat activity, successfully completing the Crown Ministry program & at least one Home Depot workshop/seminar.

The Committee will work with the family to determine where they would like to have their home constructed within the local affiliates area of concentration. It is the responsibility of the committee to attempt to guide the family to property already owned by the local affiliate when possible.

When a family is selected and approved the committee will submit the family application to the Board for approval. When approved the committee will schedule the family in the NEXT Crown Ministry program.

When the family is approved, this committee should notify the Site Selection committee of any property needs. The Site Selection Committee should notify the Partner Family of all lots available from which the family may choose.

The committee will then turn the partner family file over to the Family Support committee. The Family selection Committee will continue to work with the Family Support Committee to assure a smooth transmission of the family form one committee to another.

This committee will work with and coordinate with the President of the Board, the Crown Ministry Program and the Site Selection Committee.

FAMILY SUPPORT
This committee is responsible for working with the Partner Family after they're selected to assure that the Partner Families are aware of the sweat equity requirements and their responsibility to provide a record of their sweat equity (time/hours completed).

The committee will work with Partner Families and coordinate Partner Family participation in homeownership, education & help Partner Families transition to Habitat Homeownership. The committee will help Partner Families with establishing a budget for their family (finances) and interface with the local Habitat organization as needed. The committee will also plan & coordinate groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies with Partner Families.

This committee is responsible for working with the Partner Family after they're selected to assure that the Partner Families are aware of the sweat equity requirements and their responsibility to provide a record of their sweat equity (time/hours completed).

This committee with work with and coordinate with the Family Selection Committee, the President of the Board and the Treasurer of the Board.

FUNDRAISING
This committee is responsible for creating, building and maintaining an up-to-date database of all past donors and possible future donors within the Highland Lakes area.

Committee members are responsible for identifying and approaching potential donors such as individuals, businesses, churches and other community and service organizations that could be classified as potential donors to the local affiliate.

The committee is responsible for developing, implementing and executing a "matching funds" program with local and national business organizations.

The committee will also develop fundraising plans, prepare promotional and educational materials, and cause grant proposals to be written submitting such data to the Board for approval..
The committee will develop a close personal relationship with the Seriff Foundation and the grant-writing department of PEC and any other organizations that can be of assistants to the committee in raising funds for the local affiliate.

The committee is charge with securing cash donations or "in-kind" gifts such as, but not limited to, materials, labor, property or support from any and or all of the above names organizations.
The committee will develop and implement a plan to track donations indicating the type and nature of the donation and to send thank you notes to all donors for donations of any type.

The committee will work with and coordinate their activities with the Donor Relations Committee, the Church Relations Committee, the Public Relations Committees, The Chairperson of Cost and Procurement, the President and Treasurer of the Board.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
This committee is responsible for publicizing Habitat & local Habitat activities. The committee is responsible for writing articles, taking pictures & working with local media to get information about Habitat published and broadcasted on local radio and television stations on a current basis. Committee personnel are also responsibility for building a close personal relationship with the key personnel within the media body.

This committee will work and coordinate with all officers and committees of the local affiliate to insure that all activities and interest of all entities are made known to the general public through the local newspaper, radio and television media within the Highland Lakes area

CHURCH RELEGATIONS
This committee is responsible for helping to publicize Habitat & local Habitat activities by "getting the word out" to local church organizations and by prevailing on the churches to allow Habitat speakers to visit the church on a Sunday morning to speak with the congregation for a few minutes prior to the service regarding the importance of Habitat for Humanity in the Highland Lakes Area.
Committee personnel are also responsibility for building a close personal relationship with the key personnel within the church body.

This committee will work with and coordinate all activates with the President of the Board.

DONOR RELATIONS
This committee is responsible for helping to publicize Habitat & local Habitat activities directly to local business and civic organizations through written material and speaking engagements.
Committee personnel are also responsibility for building a close personal relationship with the key personnel within these organizations. It is also the responsibility of the committee to send out Thanks You notes to all donors upon the receipt of any type of donation.

The committee will work with and coordinate with the President of the Board and the Fundraising Committee to determine whom the large donors are and build a personal relationship with these entities.

VOLUNTEER STAFFING
This committee is responsible for creating, building and maintaining an up-to-date list of all volunteers in the construction and administration areas of the local Habitat. The committee will strive to develop an in-depth profile of all volunteers, by having each volunteer complete a profile summary.

The committee should be prepared to assist all other committees or volunteers by quickly supplying detailed information from the volunteer database in order to quickly draw on volunteer support for specific projects on which the local affiliate is working.

The database information should include full name, full address (mail and physical if different), all telephone numbers, email addresses and a breakdown of the volunteer's abilities and work preferences. The database should indicate if the individual is a construction or, administrative volunteer or both and should include days and hours the volunteer would be normally be available.
This committee will help organize and contact volunteers about work locations and schedules for both construction and administration duties. The committee will also supply the construction Houser Leader and Team Leaders and / or the Administration Leader with the names of the volunteers so they are able to contact the volunteers to discuss specific needs and instructions.

This committee wilt work with and coordinate its activates with the President of the Board, the Construction Committee, all House and Team Leaders and the Cost and Procurement Committee.

COST AND PROCUREMENT
This committee is responsible for creating, maintaining and up-dating a composite database of suppliers, tradesmen and all other business that the local affiliate might do business with in terms of purchasing supplies, materials or services. This information would include, but not limited to, business name, contact name, complete address, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses.

The committee will maintain current cost data for all supplies, materials and services that the local affiliate might purchase.

This committee in conjunction with the Treasurer of the Board will track all actual hard cost by house that the local affiliate builds.

This committee will work with and coordinate their activities with The Construction Committee, the House and Team Leaders, the President and the Treasurer of the Board.