The Affordable Housing Ministry Team is committed to address the affordable housing crisis by using three strategies:

1. Public policy advocacy that will lead to systemic change. We have joined in partnerships with other congregations through the Metropolitan Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing (MICAH) and the St. Paul Area Council of Churches. We are a social shareholder in the Opportunity Housing Investment Fund (OHIF), which focuses on strengthening part of the Saint Paul Eastside through creating and sustaining housing around a central elementary school.

2. Direct service by fundraising to support projects or programs that serve very low-income families, including for example Unity Church's work with Habitat for Humanity.

3. Education within our congregation to empower more strategic individual and shared responses. We convene congregational education forums, collaborating with other housing activists in the Saint Paul community and with related Unity ministries.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are needed to help plan and implement affordable housing education programs for adults, children and youth in our congregation; to participate in activities of the Unitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Partnership (UUAHP), MICAH, OHIF; to attend State of Minnesota legislative days focused on affordable housing; to provide information and means for members to communicate with government officials.

Habitat for Humanity

The national (and local) organization Habitat for Humanity assists low-income home buyers in completing new home construction or existing home renovation.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers from Unity Church typically provide construction labor for several one-day and one three-day project annually. Volunteers who have worked on Habitat projects in the past report strong feelings of satisfaction at seeing affordable new homes go up and existing homes improve greatly as a result of their labor. They also enjoy working side by side with the people who will own the home. Contact Pat Haff for more information at 651-228-1456, ext. 126.