tPONTIAC — Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County has received a $108,600 grant from the HP Corporate Fund, Hewlett-Packard’s corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.The gift was made in honor of HP employees recently retired in the metro Detroit area.
tThis gift enables Habitat Oakland to rehabilitate three homes in Pontiac for new partner families.
t“HP is committed to applying our technology, expertise and dedicated volunteers to increase quality of life and contribute to the prosperity of people and communities around the world,” says Gabi Zedlmayer, vice president, Office of Sustainability and Social Innovation. “With this grant, we are honoring our employees and retirees by supporting local organizations in the communities where they live and work.”
t“It is thanks to the generosity of partners like Hewlett-Packard, locally and nationally, that Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County can help families find safe, affordable housing,” says Tim Ruggles, executive director and CEO of Habitat Oakland.
tIn just a few weeks, local HP employees and retirees will be working on one of the Pontiac homes to get it in shape for the new homeowners.
tAffordable housing is a vast, yet “silent problem” in Oakland County, Ruggles says. In 2012, the organization received a “startling” 680 applications from Oakland County residents. According to 2010 Census data, Oakland County’s per capita income was $36,314, placing 9.5 percent of Oakland County residents below the poverty line.
t“Habitat is very active in Oakland County creating viable solutions to home ownership for low to mid income families,” Ruggles says. Habitat’s recently-launched Critical Home Repairs program enables more Oakland County families to benefit from Habitat’s generous donors.
