RACINE – Johnson Financial Group and Racine Habitat for Humanity have struck up a new partnership for the good of Habitat homeowners. As of April 1, the financial group has begun servicing the mortgages, free of charge, to Racine Habitat for Humanity.
Partnership Means Serving More Families in Need
With this new partnership, Racine Habitat will be able to serve a larger number of families who are in need of affordable housing while offering Johnson Financial Group’s quality care and service of the mortgages.
“This partnership is an incredible service to Racine Habitat for Humanity, our homeowners, and the community,” said Grant Buenger, Executive Director of Racine Habitat for Humanity. “We are thrilled to offer our homeowners the reputable and personal service Johnson Financial provides. We are confident that their team will uphold the care and support our families need while also strengthening their financial stability.”
While most people know that Racine Habitat serves as a general contractor for homes, they are also the mortgager for the recipients of the homes. While the mortgages will still be owned by Racine Habitat, Johnson Financial Group is now servicing them, allowing for a substantial amount of time to be opened up for Habitat staff to be able to expand their operations, thus serving more families in need of their programming.
“This is an essential component of our program. However, it is a lot of work for a small non-profit team to manage four different areas of business: construction, mortgage services, social services, and retail management at the ReStore,” said Buenger. “This partnership helps us reduce our scope and get better at what we do best, building affordable homes.”
Mortgage Servicing
As the mortgage servicer, Johnson Financial Group handles the moving parts of a mortgage: collecting monthly payments, managing escrow accounts, paying insurance premiums and taxes, as well as sending statements to the homeowners.
“I felt like this was something Sam and Helen (Johnson) would want,” said John Williamson, vice president – senior mortgage loan operations manager of Johnson Financial Group.“We were built with the customer in mind and we have always sought to invest back in our community. This seemed like a great way for us to continue that.”
About Racine Habitat for Humanity
Racine Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization operated on Christian principles. It seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Racine Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing through constructing and rehabilitating homes, and advocating for fair and just housing policies.
Johnson Financial Group’s Impact
Johnson Financial Group was founded in 1970 by Samuel C. Johnson, of the prolific Johnson family who owns SC Johnson, who saw the need for “a different kind of bank.”
Helen Johnson-Leipold, Chairman of Johnson Financial Group, says, “Do what’s best for family, company and community. We are here to make a difference in this world.”
The annual Service Day hosted by JFG sees more than 1,000 associates volunteering throughout over 60 different organizations throughout Wisconsin. As one of Wisconsin’s largest corporate charitable contributors, JFG invested $2.1 million in 2021 into the communities it serves.
Read more about their philanthropic efforts with United Way:
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