Why sweat equity matters.

By Jon Hoffman, Habitat for Humanity Lakeside construction manager

Habitat for Humanity homes aren’t free. Our partner families pay a mortgage that’s tailored to their finances. Just as importantly, each adult who will live in the home invests 250 hours of sweat equity into the building of the house that will become their home.

Sweat equity, in case you are not familiar with the term, is the labor hours people invest in any project. During my 11 years at Habitat for Humanity Lakeside, I’ve seen sweat equity take many forms. One soon-to-be homeowner kept volunteers fed as they worked on his house. That same person also became good at pouring concrete. He helped finish his driveway and has since volunteered on concrete projects on other Habitat building sites. Other homeowners have hammered shingles on roofs, painted interiors and exteriors, and assisted trained volunteers with electric and plumbing projects. Yet another continues her sweat equity commitment by serving on a Habitat for Humanity Lakeside committee.

Sweat equity helps build houses. It also builds the homeowner’s relationship with the house and sets the stage for homeownership.

How so?

First, sweat equity bonds homeowners with their new homes. When they’re part of the process of building a house, they stake a claim to it and develop a relationship with it, as well as an understanding of how they will function and thrive in their new environment. Think about how you bond with something that you nurture from infancy to its full realization. A child. Or a vegetable garden.

Second, Habitat for Humanity’s homeowners are first-time homeowners. Sweat equity helps them think of themselves as homeowners, not renters. When you’re renting, you accept what’s there and make the most of it. When you and a community of people are building your home, details matter. That nick in the closet door? Good enough for a rental, not good enough for a house. As the house evolves from a hole in the ground to a comfortable and safe space for a family, a family that’s investing sweat equity into the house develops pride of ownership.
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A home, for most people, is the biggest investment they will make. Habitat for Humanity Lakeside partner families have traveled a long road to be able to make this investment. Sweat equity helps make sure that the investment is a sound one.