Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity Highlights: 1983 - 2013 1983: Founded as Western North Carolina Habitat for Humanity, AAHH is the first Habitat affiliate in North Carolina. 1985: First house (on Martin Luther King Drive) is completed at the cost of $25,000. 1988: First staff member, Lew Kraus, is hired. Twenty-five years later, he’s the longest serving
2001: Habitat founders Millard and Linda Fuller attend celebration of 100th house.
2010: AAHH’s Administrative Offices move to 33 Meadow Road, adjacent to the ReStore’s 31 Meadow Road location. AAHH receives Griffin Award for preserving the old Southern Railway building. 2010: Asheville Area Habitat expands scope of service to include repair program with introduction of Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI).
2003: AAHH moves to 31 Meadow Road, after Skip and Mary Hood Pearlman donate the building and a capital campaign raises funds for renovation. The new Habitat Home Center holds an expanded Home Store and administrative offices.
Habitat for Humanity Executive Director in the U.S.
1989: First Baptist Church of Asheville, First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, Central United Methodist & Trinity Episocopal Church sponsor first faith community built house. 1990: Habitat Home Store opens on Biltmore Avenue. 1994: First Women Build House is sponsored and built by local architects. 1995: Name changes from WNC Habitat for Humanity to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity as other affiliates form in North Carolina. 1996: First sub-division (20 houses in Oakwood) is completed.
2003: 20th anniversary of the affiliate.
2011: Grand reopening of ReStore (formerly the Home Store). Renovation adds 13,000 square feet of retail space and 135 parking spaces.
2005: AAHH receives Habitat for Humanity International’s Affiliate of the Year Award for our 5 state Central Atlantic Region. 2007: 150th house is completed. 2008: Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity celebrates 25th anniversary. 2009: 54-house Enka Hills subdivision wins 2009 Housing North Carolina Award.
2012: ReStore ranks #3 in the nation, out of 750+ ReStores. 2013:
2010: Asheville Area Habitat completes 200th house. 2010: ReStore celebrates 20th anniversary.
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS