Habitat for Humanity is an independent, charitable, faith-based housing program dedicated to the elimination of poverty housing by building homes in partnership with families in need. We build simple, decent, and affordable houses and provide interest-free mortgages to families who would otherwise not be able to purchase their own home. The Habitat program is about home ownership and providing a long-term solution designed to break the poverty cycle.



Almost Heaven Habitat was founded in 1988 by a local group of citizens concerned about the living conditions of their neighbors. Kirk A. Lyman Barner was the founding President and continued to serve as Almost Heaven Habitat's Executive Director until September 1999. Michelle L. Connor, a Habitat homeowner herself, became Executive Director in October 1999 and continues to serve in this capacity.



- The goal of Almost Heaven Habitat is to eliminate poverty housing in Pendleton County, WV and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.



- The Almost Heaven Habitat Board of Directors has adopted a goal of eliminating all of the substandard housing in Pendleton County.



- Realizing that Habitat can not meet this goal by itself, Almost Heaven Habitat has successfully formed collaborative partnerships with other organizations who have similar goals such as the local churches through the Pendleton County Ministerial Association; local government agencies like the City of Franklin, the WV State Board of Rehabilitation Services, Federal Home Loan Bank, and the Pendleton County Commissioners. Ongoing partnerships with area non-profits include: the Lambert Hilltop Park Association, the Christian Assistance Network, Pendleton County Schools, and a major partnership with the West Virginia Housing Development Fund's Low Income Assisted Mortgage Program (LAMP).



- Almost Heaven Habitat refuses to accept any government funding for construction.



- Almost Heaven Habitat is one of over 1,600 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in North America and has helped to build homes in Kyrgyzstan, Ghana, West Africa, Haiti as well as in Peru which are two of Habitat's 100 international affiliates.