CEO of Habitat for Humanity Jackson, TN Area

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography courtesy of Andrea Hudgins.

Andrea Hudgins, a native of Trezevant, Tennessee and a graduate of West Carroll High School, has worked in community development during the past 18 years in Jackson. She graduated with a Masters of Social Work from Union University in 2011 and a Bachelor of Social Work in 2006.

She began her social work career with Northwest TN Economic Development Council as a family advocate at Washington Douglas HeadStart, providing educational and economic opportunities for low-income families in the Jackson area. After completing her MSW, Andrea served as Director of Community Development with Area Relief Ministries and worked alongside the Jackson Police Department to implement a Gang Resistance Intervention Training grant, providing education to elementary and middle school youth about at-risk and gang prevention with nine schools in the Jackson-Madison County School system.

She has trained other non-profits, organizations, and law enforcement on trauma informed care and gang awareness on both local and national levels. She also assisted creator and founder, Amy Crenshaw, on her startup ComeUnity Café, Jackson’s only pay as you can community café.

In 2017, Andrea became the CEO of Habitat for Humanity for the Jackson, TN area. Currently Andrea serves on the Habitat for Humanity TN State Board, City of Jackson Anti-Poverty Task team, and Jackson Rotary Club Board of Directors.

VIP: Describe your role as CEO of Habitat for Humanity on a typical day.

Andrea Hudgins: I wear multiple hats. I’m the grant writer as well as the mortgage lender and the project manager, so I oversee everything. We’re the mortgage lender, financial institution, non-profit, fundraiser, retail store, and land developer. Over the past year, we changed leadership in our ReStore, and the ReStore is busier than ever. There is never a typical day. At present I’m with a client selecting countertops for her home.

VIP: What are the main functions of your organization?

AH: Our Madison County chapter of Habitat for Humanity has been around since about 1986. Locally we have built 102 homes since that time. We are noted for bringing in volunteers who work alongside low income families who traditionally could not get a conventional mortgage. We work alongside these families who work on their sweat equity. We assist them with financial management classes, home repair classes, credit repair classes and home maintenance classes. Part of their sweat equity is to complete those courses as well as help build their own house. Each family completes these sweat equity hours as a down payment to their home.

We allow volunteers to assist us who have no skills to help families build their homes. With the help of volunteers and supporters and partners we have provided zero interest loans. We are the bank or the mortgage lender as we raise the money to help build a house. In turn they purchase the home at a zero interest rate over a period of 30 years. To rent a two-bedroom room in Jackson costs around $765 (fair market figure). If more than 30 percent of a family’s income goes to housing, we say that is a cost burden. Many Madison County families struggle with affordable housing. Some qualified families have been able to purchase a home for a mortgage payment of $250-$400 a month.

VIP: Give a brief history of Habitat for Humanity.

AH: Habitat for Humanity has been around since 1976. We have our own board of directors in Madison County and have been in Jackson since 1986. Habitat for Humanity International builds all over the world, but our local affiliate builds in Madison County. Many people know us by our famous volunteers like President Jimmy Carter. I met President Carter in October at the Carter Work Project in Nashville. He and Rosalynn helped build 21 homes that week, along with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood whom I also had the honor to meet.

At present we serve Madison and Haywood County families. A lot of affiliates in West Tennessee outside of Memphis are volunteer-led. We just began working in Brownsville.

VIP: How many people are on your staff, and what are their duties? What are the chief functions of your office?

AH: We have 3 fulltime and 3 part-time staff who operate the ReStore located at 1668 N. Parkway. The ReStore helps our operational costs—mainly building supplies donated to us, and we sell the supplies at 60-75 percent below retail. We work with many landlords and construction superintendents to pick up these donations and sell those at a very low cost.

ReStore hours are Wednesday through Friday from 9am-5pm and Saturday from 9am-3pm. On Monday and Tuesday we do donation pickup throughout the area. You may donate to ReStore from Monday through Saturday or call our office at (731) 427-6540 and schedule a pickup.

VIP: What are the 2020 goals of your organization?

AH: We have a board of directors. We are working to build or finish two houses this year, and we serve people over 40 to do critical repairs for senior citizens who own their home. We hope to finish about 20 of those projects this year.

VIP: Tell me about your family.

AH: I have a little French rescue bulldog, and we travel a lot. Most weekends are spent on the road for weekend travels. My parents still live in Carroll County. My dad works for TDOT, and my mom is a second grade teacher at Isaac Lane Elementary. I have one brother, and he and his wife have 3 redheaded kiddos—Aiden, Cason, and Addy.

VIP: What are your hobbies?

AH: Work is my hobby, and I travel quite a bit. A group of my favorite Jackson ladies went to St. John, Virgin Islands, to celebrate my dear friend Amy Crenshaw’s birthday.

VIP: Describe an ideal day.

AH: An ideal day would be that we’ve worked ourselves out of a job! Housing across the nation is in a major crisis! We need to understand that 30% of the population can’t afford the house they live in. I’m always looking at funding opportunities, grant writing, and networking in the community. We hope we continue to gather resources to make many families’ lives easier and recruit more volunteers to help along the way.

What to Know

Habitat for Humanity
1668 N. Parkway, Jackson, TN 38301
731-427-7967
Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm
ReStore Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 9am-5pm; Saturday: 9am-3pm.
Call 427-6540 for information.
www.jacksonhabitat.com