Arbor Rolls Up Its Sleeves for Habitat for Humanity in Miami and Boston

Alongside our award-winning work, Arbor Realty Trust’s nationwide staff consistently gives back to the communities where we live and work. This fall, several of our teams rolled up their sleeves to assist Habitat for Humanity chapters in Miami and Boston with housing initiatives that are making a difference locally.

Swing & Build Challenge in Miami

Under the beautiful Florida sunshine, Arbor employees volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami in September as part of its A Brush with Kindness program, which provides painting and landscaping services to eligible homeowners. Our team worked together to prime and paint a local home, continuing an Arbor tradition of partnering with local Habitat for Humanity chapters.

The project was part of Arbor’s sponsorship of the organization’s Swing & Build initiative, in which companies participate in a Team Build Day and a Top Golf Challenge, which support affordable housing in Miami-Dade County and bring teams directly into the heart of Habitat for Humanity’s mission.

“I’m proud of our company for taking the time to give back, and that we found another wonderful organization and cause that resonates with our colleagues and relates to what we do at Arbor in supporting housing,” said Leah Fisher, Managing Director, Special Projects, Governance and Risk.

Arbor has a long history of prioritizing culture and community through socially responsible activities, and these activities continue to have a positive impact. Several Arbor participants agreed with this sentiment.

“It was incredibly rewarding to step away from our desks and work side-by-side with colleagues to refresh the paint on a home and help improve our local community,” said Melissa Fleury, AVP, Structured Asset Management. “The teamwork, laughter, and shared purpose made it a day to remember.”

Addressing the Affordable Housing Gap

Arbor’s Boston colleagues once again partnered with Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston on a dynamic and sustainable housing development in a city where available quality rental housing is limited. The development project, which involves rehabilitating a Victorian-era home and constructing a new one at the back of the property, will house four families and be affordable at 30% of the area’s median income (AMI).

Our team assisted with several aspects of construction during the build day, including waterproofing one of the foundations. As part of the project, future homeowners must perform 200 hours of work throughout the construction period, helping build sweat equity while creating an affordable path to homeownership.

Thank you, Habitat for Humanity, for the opportunity to broaden our teams’ horizons and help them develop stronger connections to the communities where they live and work. For more information about Arbor’s Corporate Social Responsibility, visit https://arbor.com/csr/.