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In a city like Boston, where “cranes in the sky” often signals luxury developments and market-rate towers, it is easy to lose sight of those people who are only able to look up at these towers. As the Chief Construction and Real Estate Officer for Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, I view our skyline through a different lens. For us, a successful build isn’t measured by profit margins but by the stability and dignity, and access to home ownership it provides to local families.

While the physical construction of a house is the most visible part of our work, our mission lies within the Homeowner Services department. This is where the transition from “applicant” to “homeowner” happens, and it is one of the primary areas slated for transformation through our $40,000,000 Building A GREATER Boston campaign.

In the world of affordable housing, we often focus on the “sticks and bricks”—the literal construction of a residence. But at Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, we have a powerful engine humming behind the scenes that makes those bricks possible: the ReStore. As we prepare to expand our footprint with our newest location in Watertown, it is the perfect moment to reflect on why the ReStore is more than just a retail outlet; it is a cornerstone of our ability to build a more equitable city and a vital pillar of our $40M Building A GREATER Boston Campaign.

Boston stands at a crossroads, and Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston’s mission-centric approach, which brings volunteers, donors, and future homeowners together to build and sell homes with affordable mortgages, helps the teachers, healthcare workers, and service members who keep our city running achieve the dream of affordable homeownership.

Last fall, Janet Nelson took her longtime support for Habitat for Humanity to the next level by becoming the first member of The Carter Society, our new planned giving program.

(Hard) hats off to all the volunteers who built with us in 2024!