A Renewed Mission at Habitat: Prince William Focuses on Repairs and ReStore Revamp

Habitat for Humanity in Prince William County, under the interim leadership of Steve Liga, is recalibrating its mission to tackle the unique challenges of expensive real estate and a community need for home repairs rather than new builds.

Liga, who stepped in as the interim director, detailed how his experience with other nonprofits led him to this role. He explained his immediate focus on stabilizing the organization’s financial footing and reconnecting with the community after a slow period exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Liga, “We should be doing a lot more.” He emphasized the need for Habitat to complete at least one new home every three years to maintain good standing with Habitat International. Currently, the nonprofit holds properties that have been undeveloped for years, which Liga is promptly addressing. “One of the first things I did was come in and say, ‘Let’s look at these two,'” Liga noted, specifying plans to have families move into homes on the properties.

The shift comes as the organization seeks to reinvigorate its involvement in local projects, particularly following a slowdown during the coronavirus pandemic. Liga outlined the organization’s plans to boost the number of home repair projects, emphasizing the critical need within the community, especially among the elderly and those on fixed incomes. “We got months’ worth of backlog of people who’ve applied and need help,” Liga said.

Habitat for Humanity aims to perform critical home repairs weekly and undertake significant projects every quarter. “Every week, we’re out there doing a project,” Liga said. Eligibility for these services is primarily based on income, with priority given to residents earning 60% or below the median area income and those capable of contributing to their repairs, whether through direct participation or other means like volunteering at Habitat’s ReStore at 10159 Hastings Drive in Manassas.

Liga also detailed plans for revitalizing the Habitat ReStore operations, which are crucial in funding the organization’s projects. An across-the-board price increase has been implemented to support Habitat’s mission better. While the Habitat ReStore in Manassas has been a success at its current location since 2016, a now-shuttered ReStore location in Woodbridge faced challenges due to the pandemic and strategic missteps. “Instead of doubling [Habitat ReStore’s] clientele as anticipated, they just split it,” Liga remarked.

The store was in an old Food Lion store near Prince William Parkway and Minnieville Road.

Addressing staff concerns at the ReStore, Liga plans to improve benefits to reduce high turnover rates and ensure better customer service through a more stable workforce. “The turnover is high. It’s not a great paying job,” he said, laying out his plan to make staff positions more attractive and stable.

As Habitat for Humanity Prince William County celebrates its 30th anniversary, Liga is clear about the direction forward: focusing on critical home repairs and better leveraging the ReStore to fund these projects. “The 30th-anniversary campaign is building up the donor base, letting them know that when you’re donating, what that’s doing is that’s helping your senior citizen neighbor fix their roof,” Liga stated.

Liga said there will be no significant gala event to celebrate the milestone few nonprofits reach. Instead, the focus will be on direct community impact, with funds raised going straight into local projects.