Wells Fargo gives $8 million to Habitat

By Shelia M. Poole

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Habitat for Humanity International has received an $8-million donation from Wells Fargo to help fund its Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.

The initiative builds, repairs and rehabilitates affordable housing for low-income families in areas heavily affected by foreclosures. According to Habitat, which has its administrative offices in Atlanta, many of the projects will focus on foreclosed and abandoned houses and use environmentally-friendly materials. It also includes efforts to winterize the homes and make them more energy efficient.

The most recent donation continues a long relationship between Habitat and Wells Fargo.

"The intent behind the dollars is not just to stabilize the communities, but also the individuals who live in those communities ," said Kimberly Jackson, executive director of the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. She called it a "holistic" approach to strengthening neighborhoods.

The weak economy has resulted in a staggering number of foreclosures across the nation.

"Families are struggling with a lot of issues," said Mark Crozet, senior vice president of development at Habitat for Humanity International. "The need to rebuild homes isn't going away. There's so much opportunity to rehab and renovate homes, we want to do both."