John Litten is the new face of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit dedicated to building and refurbishing homes. Litten took the reins as president and CEO of the organization at the beginning of October.
He joins Habitat for Humanity after serving as executive director at the West Side Catholic Center since 2017. Previously, he served as executive director of the Diocese of Cleveland St. Vincent de Paul Society and was the director of Camp Christopher. According to Litten, these experiences gave him the talents required to lead an organization like Habitat for Humanity.
“I think my skills [are] on the leadership and management side of things, and I like lending that to things that I care about — things with a good, pure mission,” Litten says. “For me, it’s just been enriching to give back to the community in a meaningful way and use the talents that I’ve learned from people over the years.”
Litten credits his leadership skills to the people with which he’s worked.
“There is, of course, John Habat, the current CEO at Habitat. We’ve become fast friends, and I’ve learned from him. A nun — Sister Rita Mary Hartwood — this gentle, small giant who probably worked 80-hour weeks at the Diocese of Cleveland and did so much to impact and help immigrant communities in Cleveland,” Litten recounts. “Father Jim O’Donnell. He was once asked how to effect change. Everyone got quiet waiting for a profound response, and he simply said, ‘It takes a sustained presence over time.’ You just have to be consistent, and you have to be there for people, and I feel like I’ve been able to work for places that serve as that pillar.”
Plans for the Future
Litten’s plans for Habitat for Humanity are to continue the organization’s momentum.
“The organization is on a wonderful trajectory toward building and rehabbing as many homes as possible, and that’s a trajectory I’d like to continue upward,” Litten says. “There’s a lot of opportunities in our community with things like the American Rescue Plan Act and other resources to do just that.”
The American Rescue Plan Act is a COVID-19 relief bill passed in 2021, which also allocates money to low-income housing programs, of which Habitat for Humanity is a part.
Litten continues, “The current CEO and I have approved a 400-home plan over the next four years that includes building new homes and rehabbing homes, and that’s a plan I’m on board with and would look for ways to fund and enhance.”
Litten says he takes pride in the organization because of the impact it has on his community.
“I’ve worked for some great organizations in leadership over the last 15 years, and I’ve always sought the means to be the most impactful — to effect the most change. What I like most about Habitat is that on the surface, Habitat looks like an organization that’s simply building and fixing up homes, but it’s really building neighborhoods and building communities. It’s connecting people with each other,” he says.
“I’m also a councilman in Lakewood, and I’ve seen the benefit of block clubs and communities where people know each other and get along — know where the old lady lives and shovel her driveway,” he adds. “All of those things are interconnected. It helps me to recognize that in Habitat, we get an opportunity to build that.”
