Habitat Happenings: How Habitat’s Jeremy Lape helps families rebuild their lives

Published 2:30 am Wednesday, June 17, 2026

When Jeremy Lape joined Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County, he thought he was simply joining a nonprofit that builds homes. Instead, he found a calling that blended compassion, grit, and what he describes as results that are “nothing short of a miracle.”

Today, as the organization’s Family Resource director, Lape is one of the driving forces behind Habitat’s Critical Home Repair Program and Habitat Clallam’s expanding homeownership efforts across the county.

Lape’s path to Habitat began long before he ever picked up a clipboard or walked onto a job site. His early years were shaped by a deep commitment to service, a value he carried into adulthood.

“I have always had a heart for service,” he said. “I volunteered for many organizations where I could help people who were struggling or had no other options.”

Retirement did not sit well with him. When a Habitat staff member approached him about helping low income families, seniors, and disabled veterans with essential home repairs, he immediately said yes.

His motivation is rooted in personal experience. For six years, Lape cared for his elderly mother at home, relying on community organizations such as Soroptimists and Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County. During that time, he also became one of the first Covid patients in Clallam County. The illness left him with long term symptoms and no health insurance, forcing him to depend on the VIMO clinic in Port Angeles for care.

“Because I was given so much support by volunteers, it only made sense to give back,” he said.

Built on compassion

The Critical Home Repair Program is one of Habitat’s most essential services. It provides everything from wheelchair ramps and handrails to full roof replacements. But demand far outweighs available resources.

“For every ten requests we get, we can only afford to help about one family,” Lape explained. Rising costs and limited federal funding have strained the program, leaving many seniors and low-income homeowners without options.

Even so, Habitat continues to push forward thanks to volunteers and local businesses that donate labor and materials.

“We are blessed with volunteers and generous community partners,” Lape said. “They make this work possible.”

Stories of lives changed

Lape lights up when he talks about the families whose lives have been transformed. One of his favorite stories is that of Alberto T. from Sequim. Alberto and his family once lived in farm-provided housing. After spotting a Habitat flyer at a local market, they applied for the homeownership program, completed their sweat equity hours, and attended homeownership classes.

Just a few months ago, they paid off their mortgage in full.

“They raised their two children in the Sequim School District and they both now work in local businesses,” Lape said. “They own their own home. That is a miracle.”

Another recent success involved a disabled senior whose homeowner’s insurance was canceled due to a failing roof and an overgrown yard. Liggin’s Landscaping stepped in to clear the property, and Habitat replaced the roof, allowing the woman’s insurance to be reinstated.

“She was at risk of losing everything,” Lape said. “Now she is safe in her home.”

Giving a hand up

Lape wishes more people understood the truth about the Habitat homeownership program.

“People sometimes think we give away houses, and that is simply not true,” he said. Habitat families secure affordable mortgages, complete sweat equity hours, and participate in homeownership training.

“We practice the ‘hand up, not hand out’ model,” he said. “There is a lot of work that goes into getting a Habitat home, but for many families it is their only option.”

Habitat is now shifting from building single family homes to planned multifamily developments in Sequim and Carlsborg. These projects aim to support not only potential homebuyers in the low-income brackets, but also the local workforce, including teachers, police and firefighters, nurses, and medical personnel who cannot afford the county’s median home price of more than $520,000

“Some of our homebuyers could never have afforded a home without Habitat,” Lape said. “Because they partnered with us, they now own their forever home. That is what I call a miracle.”

A community effort

Lape’s work is grounded in humility and gratitude. He sees every repair, every home, and every family as part of a larger story about what a community can accomplish when it comes together.

“We cannot do this without community support,” he said. “Every volunteer, every donor, every business that steps up and contributes helps make these miracles possible.”

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Jessica Dietzman is Communications and Administrative Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County.