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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><u>Missoula Habitat for Humanity’s Homes Contribute Over $1 Million to City & County Property Taxes<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As of 2018, property taxes paid by Habitat for Humanity of Missoula’s partner families (paid on their Habitat homes) contributed over $1 million to Missoula’s city and county tax base. Habitat for Humanity of Missoula (HfHM) finished building their 52nd and 53rd homes in our community last year and soon after all HfHM homes collectively reached a $1 million total of property taxes contributed since 1991, when the first Habitat home was built. For the past five years, HfHM has been researching and subsequently tracking their partner family’s tax figures and continues to keep the information up to date. Tonight, Mayor John Engen will recognize HfHM at the regularly scheduled City Council meeting by reading a City Declaration. This Declaration establishes the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving as a Day to Give Thanks in Missoula for all the current housing that city residents enjoy. This Declaration also stands as an extended thanks for the work that HfHM does to address the affordable housing crisis in Missoula. The Missoula City Declaration celebrates HfHM’s contribution this year on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Missoula’s property taxes are a hot topic in our community, yet Habitat is generating a positive conversation about the contribution of Habitat families to the City, County, State, and the school systems through property taxes,” states Noreen Humes, Executive Director of HfHM. “Our mission has a ripple effect in the community in various ways and contributing to the tax base is one of many positive results we see from building homes with working families.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Each year, HfHM partners with eligible Missoula families living in substandard housing to build them safe, healthy, and affordable homes. To make homeownership a reality for these qualified families, HfHM sells these homes at cost with no interest or profit, allowing for each partner family to pay no more than 30% of their monthly income on their mortgage payment. By building affordable homes for working families, HfHM invests a great deal in Missoula’s youth. Research stemming from Habitat for Humanity International states that children who grow up in a home owned by their parent or care giver are 25% more likely to graduate from high school, 16 times more likely to attend and graduate from college, and 20% less likely to become teenage parents. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In addition to improving the lives of local children, HfHM also dramatically improves the appearance and value of Missoula’s neighborhoods. HfHM is currently finishing up three years of building homes in the Franklin to Fort Neighborhood (F2F) of Missoula, an economically challenged neighborhood in need of rehabilitation. HfHM will build 2 additional homes in the F2F area in 2019 totaling 8 new homes for local and varying sized families. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Of the $1 million in taxes contributed to Missoula by means of HfHM partner family property taxes, 29% of these taxes goes directly to the City of Missoula, 18% to the County, 37% to the local school district, 10% to State schools, 4% to Missoula Mountain Line, and 2% to other community needs (based on 2017 property tax bills). <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“As Habitat’s 27th year building homes comes to an end, the organization is proud to announce this $1 million mark along our mission’s progress,” states Kelin Johnson, HfHM Board President. “We could not do what we do without the generosity of volunteers and donors in the Community, therefore all of our supporters are a part of this celebration. Habitat’s impact is far reaching and we plan on continuing to build and contribute to the Missoula community in many ways far into the future.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For more information contact: Noreen Humes - Habitat Executive Director - <a href="mailto:Noreen@habitatmsla.org">Noreen@habitatmsla.org</a> 406-549-8210 OR at 406-544-5588 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>