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1986 — the first house, 1987
Founding: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne was established in 1986 as a grassroots affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International (founded nationally in 1976), spearheaded by local church leaders and community members. The first Fort Wayne Habitat home was completed in 1987 at Wildwood Avenue and Lafayette Street; its homeowner, Cecilia Thomas, paid the house off in time to be honored at the affiliate's 40th-anniversary observance in May 2026.
Course: The affiliate's counts form a dated series rather than a single figure: 180 homes by 2014; over 230 families housed in one chamber-era profile; over 280 families served in a 2023 release. Its largest single undertaking is Fuller's Landing, a Habitat neighborhood where ground was broken in 2013 and the first families moved in 2014. The affiliate serves Allen, Huntington and Wells counties and runs the Habitat ReStore; the city has partnered directly, including 600,000 dollars in federal HOME funds awarded for six houses.
Sources:
- Greater Fort Wayne Inc. / affiliate histories — established 1986 by church leaders and community members; Fuller's Landing, ground broken 2013, first families 2014; the ReStore; the three-county territory.
- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne, 40th-anniversary post (May 2026) — the first home of 1987, Cecilia Thomas, Wildwood and Lafayette.
- Fort Wayne Media Collaborative — the city's 600,000-dollar HOME award for six Habitat houses.