Over the past year, Invitation Homes has continued to experience growth amid a challenging housing market and the ongoing pandemic. We’re proud to provide choice, flexibility, and professional service to the growing share of Americans who are choosing the ease of renting over the obligations that come with owning a home. This demand has allowed us to expand and improve services for residents, invest in advancements that are revolutionizing real estate, and deepen our commitment to the communities we operate in and serve every day. Our 2021 Community Impact reports illustrate the strong presence that we have across our 16 markets, and our dedication to each of our locations leads to real value for local communities.
Invitation Homes’ operations directly benefit each area of the country we’re active in. This starts with employing a local workforce, including associates, vendors, and service providers that are integral to our business. In 2021, Invitation Homes relied on nearly 1,300 full-time associates across the country. These are individuals on the ground in each of our markets that live and work in the area and contribute to the community. We also depend on local businesses in these communities to help us with routine maintenance on our homes and enlisted nearly 1,800 partners over the past year. Through their work and the efforts of our local teams, we invested $377.5 million improving homes and, by extension, ensuring vibrant neighborhoods. Another way we invest in our communities is through paying property taxes, which go toward improving local infrastructure. Last year, Invitation Homes paid $314.1 million in property taxes.
In addition to the economic value our business provides, our associates regularly dedicate their time and energy to help improve communities through volunteer efforts. Invitation Homes provides each associate with 20 hours of paid work time annually to volunteer and we encourage them to use that time to support causes they’re passionate about. In 2021, our cumulative volunteer efforts resulted in 13,198 hours spent giving back throughout our 16 markets. This was accomplished despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a company, we’re also continuing to advance initiatives that align with our environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards and that support our efforts to be an even better corporate citizen. Two of our resident services that are designed to improve our environment include: last year, 35,730 of our residents subscribed to our air filter delivery program, and 47,575 of our installed smart home devices were active. We also conduct active community relations programs designed to support the communities where we do business and deliver on our pledge to be a responsible corporate citizen. In 2021, we announced a three-year partnership with the Hawes Trail Alliance (HTA) that focuses on maintaining, enhancing, and expanding the Hawes Trail System throughout Arizona. This marked the launch of our Green Spaces initiative which will expand conservation efforts throughout our locations. Meanwhile, our Step Up, Stand Out initiative that will help close the skills gap and expand skilled trades education was launched in two locations and will expand across all company markets by the 2023-24 school year.
The progress we’ve made over the past year is just the beginning as we continue to expand and invest in the people and places that matter most to us. In each of our 16 markets, we take pride in supporting local jobs, the economy, and efforts to better the community. Our residents benefit from the care and attention provided by associates that care about the communities where they live and work. As we continue to set the standard for the single-family rental industry, we’ll continue to provide strong support in and for our resident communities.