Strengthening the Trades. Strengthening Community.
Estera is a purpose driven nonprofit created to restore dignity to the people who make community possible. We exist to strengthen the trades through a focus on workforce development, compassionate care, and attainable workforce housing opportunities because communities thrive when the people behind them are supported.
We build stability, opportunity, and pride starting with the people who build.
About Estera
Rooted in Values.
Built for People.
Estera is a mission led nonprofit focused on investing in the human foundation of the building industry. By aligning workforce development, compassionate care, and attainable workforce housing around a shared purpose, Estera addresses the workforce challenges at the heart of today’s housing crisis and creates lasting impact for individuals, families, and communities.
This is not a program or a campaign.
It is a long term commitment to building with purpose from the foundation up.
The Facts
Our communities depend on a strong, skilled trade workforce. Today, that workforce is shrinking while the demand for housing continues to grow.
As participation declines and experienced workers retire, the gap between what our communities need and what our industry can build continues to widen. This affects housing availability, affordability, and long-term community stability.
Estera exists to change this. By investing in the people who build our communities, Estera is working to strengthen the trades, support the workforce, and help secure the future of housing.
85% of contractors report having trouble finding enough skilled tradespeople.
Source: Associated General Contractors of America
Over 1 million skilled trade jobs will go unfilled in the next 5 years.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The average age of a skilled trades worker is 55, and they’re retiring fast, with few replacements.
Source: National Association of Home Builders
40% of America’s skilled trade workforce will retire by 2035.
Source: Construction Industry Institute
Median pay in trades like welding, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC can top $80,000 with no college debt.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Meanwhile, student debt is over $1.7 trillion, with millions of grads underemployed.
Source: Federal Reserve 2024
Our Pillars
Workforce Development
We cannot solve a housing crisis without solving a workforce crisis. Estera partners with schools, training programs, and industry organizations to strengthen the skilled trade pipeline. This work creates pathways, restores respect for the trades, and opens doors to purpose filled careers.
Compassionate Care
Life does not pause for the people who build our communities. Estera provides practical and compassionate support to trade workers and their families during times of hardship. This ensures dignity, stability, and care when it is needed most. Supporting people is not secondary to our mission. It is the mission.
Workforce Housing
The people who build our communities should be able to live in them. Estera advances attainable workforce housing for trade workers by supporting organizations doing this work today and preparing to participate more deeply in the future. Our focus is creating pathways that allow trade workers to live where they serve, strengthening stability for families and the communities they build.