Habitat for Humanity Sarasota is backing away from its traditional role of building houses for lower-income families. Instead, for possibly the next three or so years, it will put its clients in rehabilitated foreclosed and abandoned homes.

With donations down and financing difficult to obtain, the nonprofit organization says it needs to shift its strategy — which previously included building another Sarasota neighborhood of new homes.

Rather than add more new construction to an already saturated real estate market, Habitat would prefer to reverse the decline in existing neighborhoods.

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