Habitat for Humanity outlines neighborhood building and blight‑removal work; council accepts challenge to build a house with volunteers

Merrill McEwen, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area, told the council the nonprofit has built and rehabbed houses in Broadmoor and many other Jackson neighborhoods and emphasized that Habitat operates as an "economic engine," not a charity. "We do not give houses away. We were not started by Jimmy Carter, and we are not a charity. We are an economic engine," McEwen said.

McEwen described 28 completed houses in Broadmoor with three under construction and said Habitat has impacted roughly 50 lots and plans a second set of 50. She described the organization's home‑buyer model: homes are sold with zero‑interest mortgages and include education, sweat‑equity requirements and budget counseling, and she noted the organization also opened a ReStore retail outlet at 615 Stonewall to raise revenue and lower construction costs.

Council members praised the work and asked staff to expedite reimbursements on completed contracts. Councilwoman Clay proposed a visible show of council support by committing members and staff to volunteer labor on a Habitat house; McEwen and the mayor accepted the challenge and asked staff to coordinate a build date.

Why it matters: Habitat's work supports homeownership and blight removal in neighborhoods city officials have prioritized. The group's model combines construction, resale with owner occupancy, and homeowner education. Reimbursement for city contracts was raised as a near‑term administrative issue.

Next steps: Administration said it will follow up on pending reimbursements and coordinate with Habitat and council volunteers to schedule a future build day.