Over the years the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (HRHA), as a strategy of redevelopment of North East Harrisonburg, acquired several dilapidated properties and made the lots available to several informal voluntary groups to build affordable homes. In 1994 Immanuel Mennonite Church and HRHA agreed to collaborate to provide affordable homes on properties on East Johnson Street, the most affected by blight. This area was of vital interest to both Immanuel Mennonite Church and the Housing Authority as they were both located on the adjacent street, Kelley. The collaboration consisted of the HRHA providing the lots, sometimes below cost, and interest free construction loan. Thus Hope Builders was created as an informal association in 1994.

In three years three homes were built and completed and the fourth house was half built when in the latter part of 1997, the coordinator of the program, Clayton Kuepfer, left for his home country Canada. The decision was then made, that all money saved from operations (about $10,000.00) should be spent on the fourth house and Hope Builders stop functioning as an organization.

In January 1998, the present Executive Director, Asrat Gebre, who was then a member of Immanuel Mennonite Church, expressed interest in revitalizing the organization. He was employed as Executive Director and was charged to give the fledgling organization an appropriate organizational structure.

Incorporation was sought from the Virginia State Corporation Commission and Hope Builders was incorporated as Hope Community Builders in early 1998. In February the IRS granted the new corporation a provisional 501 (c) (3) non-profit status.

The Virginia Mission Board of the Virginia Mennonite Conference assisted Hope Community Builders with operation funds for three years.
In the earlier days HCB, as a community organization, tried to address all community needs like children's work, prison ministry and affordable homes. The complexity of affordable homes led the Board to decide that HCB concentrate on the provision of affordable homes.

In June 2000 HCB received a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) certification from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (VADHCD).

HCB is governed by a Board of Directors of seven, who come from all walks of life and various churches in Harrisonburg. As a condition of the CHDO certification a third of its Board of Directors are residents of a low income area. Day to day operations are currently carried out by Asrat Gebre, Executive Director & CEO, Duane Bontrager, Senior Building Supervisor and Eric Beck, Building Supervisor.

| 7.26.2006 |Print |