Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity receives $160,000 grant from Wells Fargo

Press release:

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity receives $160,000 grant from Wells Fargo Housing Foundation to support neighborhood project Grant part of $6M effort to help revitalize communities impacted by economy

ASHEVILLE, NC (November 18, 2016) – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced it will donate $160,000 to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity as part of $6 million in grants awarded across 56 nonprofits through its 2016 Wells Fargo Housing Foundation Priority Markets Program to help stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods impacted by the economy. The Program provides support to large-scale neighborhood revitalization projects to further economic recovery in local communities.

With this grant, the Wells Fargo Priority Markets Program becomes the lead benefactor in Asheville Habitat’s Shiloh: Let’s Build! campaign, a three-year effort that focuses on the historically significant Shiloh community of South Asheville. Asheville Habitat is currently building affordable energy-efficient houses, repairing existing houses, and working with the Shiloh Community Association to meet other goals for neighborhood.

“Wells Fargo is pleased to support these nonprofits that work tirelessly to help revitalize neighborhoods and further their success for the long-term,” said Martin Sundquist, executive director of the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. “The Priority Markets Program has been a catalyst for bringing together community stakeholders with common interests to improve neighborhoods that are producing sustainable results and adding up to make a huge difference for communities.”

Kit Rains, Asheville Habitat’s director of development, noted that with Wells Fargo’s partnership, Habitat will do more than build and preserve homes in Shiloh. “The Priority Market grant means that in addition to building and repairing homes, a legacy greenway to the community garden will connect neighbors to each other and their history, and homebuyers will receive extensive education before closing on their houses. Together, Wells Fargo, Asheville Habitat and our homeowners, and local residents will build homes, communities and hope in Shiloh,” she said.

Asheville Area Habitat is actively involved and experienced in community revitalization efforts and was identified by Wells Fargo as leading large-scale neighborhood projects. The Priority Markets Program grants are administered through the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. Since 2009, the program has provided grants totaling more than $42 million for nonprofits in 125 U.S. communities.

About the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation
In 2015, the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation donated nearly $20 million in support of affordable housing initiatives serving low-and moderate-income households – including for seniors, veterans, and families – through community revitalization efforts. Since its inception in 1993, the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation has invested more than $170 million to such efforts, along with mobilizing more than 4.7 million team member volunteer hours to build and rehabilitate nearly 5,600 homes and counting.

About Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Founded in 1983, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity was the first Habitat affiliate in North Carolina. Through Habitat homeownership and home repair programs, more than 1,350 adults and children in Buncombe County have achieved the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build a better future. A decent place to call home and an affordable mortgage enables Habitat homeowners to save more, invest in education, pursue opportunities and have greater financial stability. Learn more about Asheville Area Habitat and how you can get involved at ashevillehabitat.org.