Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga and the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Mid South Region are building two homes in Chattanooga as part of a nationwide effort to create additional homeownership opportunities with low-income families.

“This is a very exciting partnership for me personally and for Habitat,” said Jan Varnell, Executive Director of the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. “Because of Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity funding, we will be able to build two more homes this year.

That’s two more families in simple, decent, affordable housing this year.”

Nationally, Habitat for Humanity International and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are building up to 312 homes in 2006. The homes will be in addition to the more than 5,000 homes Habitat affiliates build annually in the United States and represent a six percent increase in Habitat home production.

The effort is part of a new alliance, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. The alliance makes Thrivent Financial Habitat’s largest single ally in its mission to eliminate substandard housing and rebuild communities.

The homes will be built in more than 200 communities in 43 states. This represents an estimated $21.7 million investment from Thrivent Financial in 2006 alone. During the four-year alliance, Thrivent Financial intends to invest a total of $105 million to increase annual house production by up to 500 U.S. homes per year and more around the world

Habitat affiliates across the nation were invited to apply for Thrivent Builds with Habitat funding. A total of 265 affiliates are receiving funding based on their ability to increase local building efforts and have been paired with nearly 400 Thrivent volunteer chapters (local volunteer groups of Thrivent Financial members). The homes will be built in large urban areas such as Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami and San Francisco, as well as communities such as Rochester, N.Y., Lima, Ohio, Brookings, S.D., and Chattanooga.

In the Mid South Region of Thrivent Financial, at least 25 Thrivent volunteer chapters will help with fund-raising and homebuilding.

“We’re eager to step up our efforts to reduce substandard housing in Chattanooga,” said John Hall, Lutheran Community Services Specialist for the Mid South Region. “Our volunteers are ready to get started and are looking forward to working with others in their communities.”

Thrivent Builds with Habitat represents a unique alliance between two national nonprofit networks of 1,699 Habitat affiliates and 1,362 Thrivent volunteer chapters. In 2004, Thrivent chapters delivered more than 19 million volunteer hours of community service. The alliance combats the chronic national and worldwide problem of substandard housing. More than 13 million U.S. households use at least half of their income to pay for housing. Millions more live in overcrowded conditions or housing with severe physical deficiencies, such as having no hot water, electricity or toilet.

“We want to reach out and help even more families each year and this can only be done through innovative alliances,” said Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International. “Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is bringing not only its generous donation but also engaging its members and communities to volunteer time and raise funds for this effort.”

Reaching beyond the U.S., Thrivent Builds will take volunteers around the world to build with families in need, with the goal of eventually building up to 200 homes overseas per year. Additionally, Thrivent Builds will raise awareness about substandard and affordable housing issues through the one-of-a-kind Thrivent Builds Mobile. The mobile exhibit, housed in a 48-foot-long semi trailer truck, is crisscrossing the country to give visitors a powerful experience designed to educate and call communities to action.

“Thrivent Builds with Habitat is giving our nearly three million members and others a wonderful opportunity to not only raise roofs, but to raise hope as well with hundreds of families across the U.S.,” said Bruce Nicholson, Thrivent Financial chairman, president and CEO. “Thrivent Financial has a mission of service. This allows our members to support Habitat with both our financial and volunteer resources.”