The Pride Build in Salt Lake City, a week-long LGBTQ+ community-focused event hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Salt Lake Area, brought volunteers and community partners together from June 22 to June 27 to support affordable housing for local families.
In partnership wth the LOVELOUD Foundation, Utah Pride Center, UAF Legacy Health and Equality Utah, Pride Build brought together volunteers, local leaders and community organizations to commemorate inclusion and the anniversary of the Obergefell Supreme Court decision, which legalized same-sex marriage.
Pride Build and Habitat for Humanity
For Habitat for Humanity, building homes is part of a larger mission to create affordable housing while structuring a stronger and closer community. “Habitat’s mission is putting love into action,” said Carin Crowe, CEO of Habitat for Humanity. “Habitat builds homes, communities and hope.”
The Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit housing organization working in local communities nationwide and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of an affordable home can apply for homeownership through their local Habitat for Humanity.
Selected homeowners are required to partner with the organization through sweat equity. Applicants must also show a need for affordable housing and the ability to repay a mortgage through an affordable payment plan.
During an interview with the Chronicle, Crowe said the Greater Salt Lake affiliate serves Tooele, Salt Lake and Davis counties. In the past year, the organization has completed more than 100 critical home repairs, built and dedicated six homes and completed 56 days of outdoor beautification projects. Over the past 40 years, they have dedicated 125 homes.
Crowe said Habitat for Humanity of Greater Salt Lake Area expects to have more than 3,000 volunteers this year, totaling close to 15,000 volunteer hours. “People know about the home part. That’s the swinging of the hammer. Everybody knows that part,” Crowe said. “The community part, that’s what all of this is. It’s the outreach. The caring about the different municipalities and the people that live there. And then it’s hope for the future.”
Crowe highlighted the importance of access to affordable homeownership, which can help families create long-term stability by building generational wealth, economic stability and increased access to education. “With their homes, they build intergenerational wealth, so their children can have a different future,” Crowe said.
South Salt Lake
South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood said housing remains a major priority for the city. “Housing is, like every community, a huge priority, ” Wood said. “We really want our families to move here and stay here.”
Wood said South Salt Lake has been partnering with Habitat for Humanity to find ways to provide affordable housing for families. She said the partnership allows the city to purchase homes that may need intense repairs, work with Habitat for Humanity on improvements and use deed restrictions to help keep the homes affordable for families.
Wood also connected the housing work to the city’s broader efforts to support families through Promise South Salt Lake, a citywide system of after-school programs for children. “It’s all so interconnected,” Wood said. “When you figure that out, you really can start addressing some of the foundational issues.”
For the mayor, the work is not only about repairing houses. “We’re building the community,” Wood said.
LOVELOUD
The LOVELOUD foundation also partnered with Habitat for Humanity for the Pride Build. Tyler Glenn, the lead singer of Neon Trees and co-founder of LOVELOUD, said the organization focuses on supporting LGBTQ+ youth, especially those who are part of families of faith.
Glenn said LOVELOUD wanted to partner with Habitat for Humanity to bring attention to the work the organization is doing in Utah. “We wanted to partner with Habitat for Humanity on this Pride Build just because we’re a big organization and we wanted to spotlight what they were doing,” Glenn said. “Giving housing and brightening up community areas just adds to the value of the community at large.”
Glenn said LOVELOUD’s work is also about visibility and family support for LGBTQ+ youth. For Glenn, events like Pride Build create opportunities for people to connect across communities. “There are so many opportunities to get into a room together and really see the humanity of us,” Glenn said.
