Habitat for Humanity's 17th Glam Sweethearts Ball Feb. 14 Supports Affordable Housing

Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho will host its 17th annual A Glam Sweethearts Ball on Feb. 14 at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn, a semi-formal fundraiser aimed at expanding local affordable housing and supporting the multi-phase Duffield Place development. The evening will include a cocktail hour, silent auction, buffet, live auction, raffles and dancing, with tickets priced at $85 per person or $680 for a table of eight; sponsorships are also available.

The ball is timed to bolster Habitat’s home-building and home-repair programs across Kootenai County. Proceeds will specifically support both construction and occupancy at Duffield Place, where several families have already moved in and additional homes are under construction. That mix of newly occupied units and ongoing construction highlights Habitat’s shift from single projects to staged neighborhood development, aiming to move families into homes more quickly while continuing to add supply.

Local organizers frame the event as a practical response to persistent housing pressures in the county. As local home prices and rents have risen in recent years, nonprofit-built units and rehabbed homes play a role in stabilizing household budgets and keeping essential workers - from teachers to service employees - within the community. Funding events like the Sweethearts Ball provide unrestricted support that can be directed to construction costs, infrastructure needs, and the wrap-up activities that make units livable and affordable.

From an economic standpoint, incremental additions to affordable inventory can have outsized local impacts: every home completed can reduce demand-side pressure on rental markets and support workforce availability for small businesses that rely on local labor. Habitat’s multi-phase approach at Duffield Place also spreads capital needs over time, allowing volunteer labor, donated materials and philanthropic dollars to leverage additional construction activity.

The ball’s format - auctions and raffles combined with ticket sales and sponsorships - follows a familiar philanthropic model that converts community goodwill into cash flow for capital projects. For local donors and businesses, sponsorship opportunities offer visibility at a well-attended community event while channeling resources into projects that can lower long-term social-service burdens and expand homeownership pathways in Kootenai County.

For residents interested in supporting Habitat’s efforts, attending the Feb. 14 event or participating as a sponsor will directly fund building and occupancy at Duffield Place and other local projects. As more units come online, the immediate next step for the community will be monitoring how new homes affect rental availability and affordability in nearby neighborhoods, and whether similar multi-phase developments can scale to meet broader housing needs.