Homeflow program lowers housing costs for homebuyers

Homeflow program lowers housing costs for homebuyers

In 2016, one of Habitat for Humanity’s largest U.S. affiliates – HabiJax in Duval County, Florida – began using the Homeflow Extension program as its baseline educational program for all new homeowner candidates. Their goal is to minimize the risk of its future mortgage foreclosures.

The Homeflow program, created by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, uses a series of research-based modules that explores the relationships between the health of the home and its occupants, communications between occupants, home maintenance and operations, energy and functional efficiency and home safety routines.

In 2019, 60 individuals successfully completed the Homeflow program. Half the participants were from HabiJax while the other half were from less urban areas. At an average monthly savings of $300 a month, each graduate is estimated to save $3,600 per year. As a group, these 60 individual homeowners saved an estimated $216,000 in annual housing costs. A woman who attended one of the Homeflow classes as part of Habitat for Humanity’s prospective homeowner educational class series reported saving $50 per month on her electric bill by utilizing the energy conservation information offered in just one Homeflow session.