With a seasoned executive director leading the Staunton-based Habitat for Humanity, the start of the new year brought a fresh set of eyes to the nonprofit. 2024 clearly delivered some setbacks: the resignation of the former executive director, Lance Barton, and the mass exodus of board members in the aftermath.
David Wenger, who joined the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity in the fall, has years of experience under his belt previously serving in the same role with the Habitat serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
His title of interim executive director for the Staunton affiliate gives the board an opportunity to reset and chart a course forward and then re-evaluate his role later in the year.
While Wenger resides in Rockingham County, he is no stranger to the Augusta County area, having started his career as a public educator at Stuarts Draft High School.
Wenger also isn’t alone at the helm of the SAW Habitat for Humanity.
The staff remains “intact” with core positions in programming and development filled. He also has the operational side of things covered at ReStore, its retail store that accepts donations of furniture, appliances, roofing, windows and more, and serves as an economic generator that provides a backbone for the non-profit organization.
“I came on board to help move things forward,” he said. “My role as ED should be outreach, conversations with community partners, fundraising …”
He’s already had productive talks with the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge and the Staunton Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He’s also spoken to one local Rotary Club. However, he feels he is just “scratching the surface” so far.
“It’s been a pretty curious three or four months, but not in a bad way.”
The Habitat series
This article is part two of a three-part series. The final story in the series will be published on Friday.
- Part one: A tumultuous year for Habitat ends on a positive note (Jan. 8, 2025)
- Part two: Habitat’s work continues, its plans for the future
- Part three: What we can all learn from Habitat, United Way (Jan. 10, 2025)
Building the board: ‘Ready to roll’
The board, decimated in 2024, now sits at only five members, and there currently isn’t a vice chair or treasurer, Wenger told AFP.
“I know things changed fairly dramatically with some large shifts and things, so my suspicion is that there were a variety of things going on,” he said. “We have a core group of board members right now.”
Wenger said the organization is working to build the board and is having conversations with four or five people to fill the open positions.
“We have five [board members] now,” he said. “We should be at seven to 12, so we’re down a little bit. We have enough to meet the quorum guidelines, but we want to move as quickly as is reasonable.”
He said the board role usually appeals to people in the construction and financing sectors, and they often provide valuable guidance as advisors to the organization.
He plans to offer some strategic training with new and current board members in March or April, and then “be ready to roll.”
‘There will be ebbs and flows’
Habitat works to build affordable homes for low-income families with mortgage payments in the range of $600 and $700 per month for the new homeowner. The organization requires those who purchase a home to put in sweat equity – volunteering at the construction site or the ReStore. Families in the program also receive education to help them transition from renter to homeowner.
Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County are all dealing with a growing problem of families facing housing insecurity. The CFCBR, along with numerous community partners, has launched a 10-year endeavor with a goal to end homelessness in the region.
Habitat for Humanity’s work, therefore, is one piece of a much larger puzzle. A handful of families each year are fortunate to move from a rental home to home ownership through the Staunton Habitat program.
The goal is to make it “not just affordable for the family to purchase the house, but affordability after they’re in the house,” Wenger said.
In February, Wenger thinks a new family will be able to close on a house. Another family closed on their home and moved in right before Christmas.
The process to work through the current Habitat model, Wenger said, takes a year to a year and a half to complete, so the staff gets to know the families through their volunteer work and education, and it’s always a big moment when someone completes the program.
Due in part to the chaos caused by the executive director’s sudden resignation, the organization paused accepting new applications for families in 2024.
“There were some questions when they slowed down the application process about why are you slowing down? Does that mean you’re not doing anything? That doesn’t mean we’re not doing anything, maybe just a little different pace,” Wenger said.
“Later in the calendar year 25, we should be placing two, three or four more families as we roll into it. So the trick is, as complicated as a model as it is, is trying to keep it somewhat of a sustainable progression on it.
“When you’re building houses and all of the donations and things that are involved, you’re going to get some ebbs and flows,” he said.
Before they open up applications again, the staff and board need to make some decisions about how long to keep it open – a day, a week or something else. He’d also like to be sure that community partners who work with the families in need are aware of the short window for applications with Habitat, so a qualified family doesn’t lose the opportunity because they find out about it too late.
The Habitat process is ideal for families, older adults and even someone with accessibility needs, because the home is built and tailored to the person who will live there. While the Habitat national model leans toward a third-party lender for the home, there are times that the local affiliate is the lending agent tying up some of the organization’s cashflow.
Wenger said that at the close of 2024, donations were trending up with an end-of-year fundraising campaign winding down, but he said, the nonprofit could obviously do more with more funds.
“I’m an overachiever all the time,” Wenger said, “so I always want to do more.”
Habitat willing to adapt its model in the future
While the local Habitat for Humanity has typically built single-family detached homes, the nonprofit has recently begun the planning process for two potential townhouse projects in Staunton: a four-unit development on Anderson Street and a 22-unit subdivision on A Street. Wenger said they are also looking at property in Waynesboro.
The organization has also watched and learned from other affiliates who have explored 3D and prefabricated homes. If they’re able to accelerate the builds, then they could potentially get families into homes more quickly.
“We’re constantly evaluating this housing situation, and how to do it, do it more and do it better,” he said. “You are always looking at what’s the most effective, efficient way to provide a cost-efficient house for families.
“We have a vision of doing more, but we’re going to try to be strategic and systematic about getting there.”
He said he’d like to see Habitat tackle five to 10 homes each year.
“Let’s set the goal a little high and be willing to come in a little bit low,” he said, “thinking we’ll come in higher by doing it that way.”
The Habitat series
- Part one: A tumultuous year for Habitat ends on a positive note (Jan. 8, 2025)
- Part two: Habitat’s work continues, its plans for the future
- Part three: What we can all learn from Habitat, United Way (Jan. 10, 2025)
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- Not in my back yard: Community buy-in will be necessary to overcome housing insecurity
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Crystal Graham
