Since 1989, Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County has been bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope for those in need. They work to build pathways out of poverty through stable, affordable housing while building community partnerships to contribute to every home they build.  

Habitat relies on community partners to provide affordable homeownership opportunities through volunteer labor, donated materials, and innovative construction methods. The ability to grow and serve even more families, especially as demand for affordable housing increases, requires skilled developers and greater capacity. Sustaining that talent can be challenging without stable funding. 

Through their longtime partnership with Waukesha State Bank, Habitat was awarded an FHLBank Chicago Community First^® Developer Program grant, which distributes funding to support career development for emerging developers of affordable housing.  

“Collaborations like this amplify the impact we can have on local families and neighborhoods,” said Ty Taylor, President & CEO of Waukesha State Bank. “We are grateful for our partnership with FHLBank Chicago and honored to support Habitat for Humanity as they expand their capacity and deepen their work in our communities.” 

The grant is allowing Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County to bring on two fellows: a Project Development Fellow, focused on the capacity to identify, acquire, and develop sustainable properties, and a Construction Prefabrication Fellow, focused on leading the transition to prefabricated and panelized construction methods to reduce home build time. Together, these roles are expected to increase capacity across their service area while cultivating local talent to grow into the next generation of affordable housing leaders.  

“Our fellows will gain real experience in affordable and workforce housing,” says Melissa Songco, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County, “and with their help, we can evolve as an organization and become even more efficient with our resources so we can build homes faster and have a better product for our families.”  

The Developer Program provides grant funding for nonprofit and for-profit organizations to support career development for emerging affordable housing developers. Grants range from $50,000 to $250,000 per organization and fund activities such as project management training, predevelopment planning, construction and financing experience, and on-the-job learning through internships and fellowships. These efforts help cultivate the next generation of housing professionals and strengthen the foundation for long-term development across the region.

2026 DPP^® Programs

• General Pool: Participating members may reserve up to $1 million on a first-come, first-served basis. Funds provide up to $10,000 in assistance for down payment and closing costs for income-eligible borrowers.
• DPP Advantage Pool: Members may also reserve up to $1 million to offer up to $10,000 in down payment assistance to income-eligible homebuyers securing their first mortgages through nonprofit lenders.

Streamlined Community Advance