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Habitat partner families pay lower mortgage payments (for a quality home that they own), than they were paying in rent for substandard housing. That swing of often saving hundreds of dollars every month and starting to build equity has always been a critical piece of Habitat for Humanity's home-ownership program. Where for many “stay at home” means figuring out logistics and adjusting mindsets, for others it only exacerbates the conditions with which they have struggled for so long. Affordable and stable housing continues to be a foundation for us all to build our lives on, and as long as we are able to do so safely, we will continue to build. Construction has been deemed essential by New York State, so our construction is continuing with staff only (no volunteers) and maximum health and safety precautions. Our construction supervisors are working with maximum social distancing (usually on different houses) to finish five nearly-complete new builds and two remodels. On Tuesday we worked on driveways on the Holworthy Street new builds and finishing touches on an Orange Street remodel. These homes are near completion and we will be working with each family on an individual plan regarding safety, logistics, and timing of move-ins. A message from our CEO[Updated March 20, 7:00pm]
Dear valued Flower City Habitat for Humanity family and friends, First and foremost, our hearts go out to those directly impacted by COVID-19 here in Monroe County and around the globe. The situation continues to evolve quickly, and I want to assure you that the health and safety of our volunteers, homeowners, donors, partners and staff are of the utmost importance. We continue to monitor recommendations from health officials at:
In addition to previously mentioned precautions, we are also now taking the following steps to protect the health and safety of our volunteers, staff, supporters, and the families and individuals we serve. Office & Family Services:
Construction:
Events & Volunteering:
ReStore:
While we find these times incredibly challenging and the hurdles are daunting, we also find reason for hope. I feel in my heart and soul that we will get through this, we will rise to the challenge, and we are prepared to meet what will be an even greater need for affordable housing in our community. I believe we will do so by remaining tied to our core values and by supporting each other. Thank you for your continued support as we work together for the health of our community. Sincerely, Matthew J. Flanigan CEO, Flower City Habitat for Humanity Where there was once five empty lots, there are now five nearly completed homes! Five home dedication ceremonies have been scheduled:
On the volunteering side, there is still some work left to do and we have opened several house sponsor and public volunteer shifts leading up to the dedications. Take a look at the whiteboard to see what to expect and email us if you have any questions! Public construction shifts are now open through March 12th on our public volunteer calendar (new dates open each week). For group reservations, head to the group volunteering page. House sponsor shifts are now open through March 12th. Go to our home page, then look for your house for additional reserved volunteer shifts. We are approaching the finish of the five new builds, so there will be limited volunteer opportunities on these specific houses beyond March 12th, but we are reaching out to sponsors and homebuyers now to start confirming dedication dates! Check out the whiteboard for the expected work this week on each house:  Public construction shifts are now open through March 6th on our public volunteer calendar (new dates open each week). For group reservations, head to the group volunteering page. House sponsor shifts are now open through March 12th. Go to our home page, then look for your house for additional reserved volunteer shifts. We are approaching the finish of the five new builds, so there will be limited volunteer opportunities on these specific houses beyond March 12th, but we are reaching out to sponsors and homebuyers now to start confirming dedication dates! Check out the whiteboard for the expected work this week on each house:  As painting finishes up on the Holworthy Street and Smith Street new builds; flooring is next — and if you do it in that order, you don't have to worry about paint drips! Big thanks to students from RIT and Edison Tech for great volunteer groups this week! Here's what to expect this week! Sign-up for public construction shifts at https://give.rochesterhabitat.org/ge/construction (house sponsor volunteers should go to our home page, then look for their house for additional reserved volunteer shifts)  We recently started renovating another vacant "zombie" home, this one on Breck Street. This is our 6th vacant rehab in the past couple years and we are excited to see another dramatic turn-around as this house goes from a neighborhood eye-sore to a quality affordable home. Here are a few before pictures, and some of the progress so far, including: demolition, blue board exterior insulation, new windows, new concrete basement floor, new glass block basement windows, additional basement support added, all new electrical and plumbing (in progress), re-framing rooms to add closets (in progress), new porch (in progress), and much more to come! The renovation of this home is being made possible through our partnership with the City of Rochester, Rochester Land Bank, Enterprise Community Partners, and an anonymous individual donor. Stay tuned as work continues! Painting and kitchen cabinet installation continues on Smith Street and the four Holworthy Street houses. Don't let the cold keep you away, we have plenty of indoor work going on! If you sign-up to volunteer in the next week or so — make sure you wear clothes that you don't mind getting paint on! Sign-up for open construction shifts at https://give.rochesterhabitat.org/ge/construction (house sponsor volunteers should go to our home page, then look for their house for additional reserved volunteer shifts) |
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