Over the past four decades, Habitat for Humanity Corpus Christi has given more than 60 houses to people in need of affordable housing due to rising costs, natural disasters and impoverishment. Its mission is accomplished with programs such as the Habitat Homeowner — a collaboratively built home with an affordable mortgage for the homeowner — Habitat Home Repairs, which assists with home appliance repairs, and a retail outlet with gently used household items for resale at affordable prices called Habitat ReStore.
Habitat Corpus welcomed its new executive director, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Steven Pierce, to the team toward the end of 2024. Pierce, a Purple Heart Recipient, is a natural leader passionate about serving others. After 26 years in the army, Pierce developed a mission-focused mentality, prompting him to set forth to uphold Habitat Corpus’ mission while achieving new goals in the process.
“The army is service-focused, mission-focused,” Pierce shared. “Every unit has its own specific mission that’s given, and I’ve operated like that for the past 26 years: You tell me what you need to get done and I’ll come in and complete the mission.”
Although adversity was always present in his life — having been raised in a low-income household and losing his parents to cancer at age 15 — Pierce became the first person in his family to graduate college, and today, he serves as an example for his five children.
“It was a change of environment that really gave me hope,” he said of how he overcame life’s obstacles to achieve his goals. “That is why Habitat for Humanity is important for people who live in impoverished housing. It’s hard to break free from that, and sometimes getting an opportunity to own a home makes all the difference in the world because parents who are homeowners are more likely to have kids that are homeowners. We’re helping a family in [a specific] time and space, but we’re giving them an opportunity for generational change.”
The idea for Habitat for Humanity began with farmer and theologian Clarence Jordan, who developed the concept of working alongside people to build homes with no-interest loans from supporters and fundraising.
“We’re gonna build in a way that we’re putting people in a community of other Habitat families who all have the same challenges and the same dreams and put in the same effort to live there,” Pierce said.
Habitat helps more than 1,400 communities in the United States; and in Corpus Christi, through volunteer action, the organization continues acquiring lots to build affordable housing for families looking for a livable space to build brighter futures.
As the new leader at the helm, Pierce brings a fresh perspective and a vision that aligns with Habitat for Humanity’s foundational values of providing families with the resources to achieve stable housing and build thriving communities.
Contact: habitatcorpus.org
