Man gives $100M to Habitat for Humanity

ATLANTA (AP) — The housing market may be sputtering, but Habitat for Humanity International is getting a $100 million gift from an Atlanta developer who said his work has offered him a look at the struggle of poor people to find decent housing.

The nonprofit group announced Thursday it received the largest individual contribution in its history, an offering that will help Habitat build 60,000 homes around the globe.

It’s one of the largest gifts in recent years to a group devoted to social services, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. A center official called it “remarkable” — especially in the midst of a gloomy economy.

The donation comes from J. Ronald Terwilliger of Atlanta, a former chief executive of housing developer Trammell Crow Residential Co. and a longtime member of Habitat’s board of directors.

Terwilliger said through his work with Habitat and in the private sector he’s witnessed the depths of poverty, seeing people living in cardboard shacks and unspeakable filth, as well as the struggle for middle-class families to find affordable housing.

“People need a decent, safe, clean residence where they can get a good night’s sleep and families can be together,” he said. “If they have that as an anchor, they have a way to send their kids off to school regularly and a better chance those children will be healthy.”

“This is a chance to have a really deep impact,” said Jonathan Reckford, Habitat’s chief executive.