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.

[Updated May 11, 2020]

Flower City Habitat for Humanity family and friends,

Below is a brief "status of operations" by department. A more detailed letter from our CEO is also available here.

Office & Family Services:

• Our office is currently closed to the public
• All staff who can are working from home, all volunteers are home
• Please see our staff directory and prioritize email or cell phone over calling the office
• Habitat Partner Families: Please review our updated payment policies
• We continue to work with families that are in our homebuyer program, supporting their ongoing journey towards homeownership
• We are also staying in touch with every family in a Habitat home to make sure they’re safe, making sure that they know we are here to support them through adjusted payment policies, and making referrals for additional support that is available in the community

Construction:

• All in-person volunteering is suspended until further notice
• Move-ins have been completed on all four Holworthy Street new builds and the Orange Street remodel, with some exterior work to be completed in the coming weeks
• Construction on Breck Street, Cuba Place, and Smith Street are slowly moving forward with minimal personnel and maximum safety precautions
• Although affordable housing has been deemed essential by New York State, we have paused the next round of construction to further protect our staff and public health
• We are working now to establish additional Covid-19 safety measures for the next round of construction, by thoroughly researching best practices from OSHA, CDC, the National Home Builders Association, Habitat for Humanity International, and other Habitat affiliates
• At the beginning of the crisis, we donated our excess stock of protective masks to local hospitals and we are now preparing to reorder protective equipment in bulk
• We are continuing to move forward with construction planning, and when the time is right, we will launch the next round of construction

Events, Fundraising, & Volunteering:

• All in-person volunteering and in-person events are suspended until further notice
• Our annual Gala will now be a 4-day virtual experience
• Our Hearts & Hammers volunteer celebration and holiday gathering has been rescheduled to December 3, 2020
• We recommend volunteer committees and groups to meet only via remote technology, until further notice
• We have a business Zoom account that can be used for Habitat volunteer groups, email kbraley@rochesterhabitat.org if you would like to schedule a meeting
• Fundraising efforts will continue, with an acknowledgement of the current situation, as the need for our services remains great
• One way you can help us be most prepared to relaunch is to update your email preferences (here) and your volunteer information and interests (here)

ReStore:

• As of Friday, March 20 at 5pm, both ReStore locations have closed temporarily, until further notice
• If you made a purchase before March 20 and have not picked it up, it will be held for you until after we reopen
• Donation pick-ups and drop-offs are also suspended temporarily, but please take note of items that you would like to donate to ReStore so that we are fully stocked upon reopening
• Online shopping with no-contact or delayed pick-ups are now available
• Digital gift cards are now available for redemption when we reopen
• Please consider purchasing now to help us weather this storm and be ready for our ReStores to reopen in a position to best continue serving our community
• If you have an emergency need for an oven, microwave, or refrigerator please text or leave a voicemail at 585-490-1363, or email restore@rochesterhabitat.org ​

Where there was once five empty lots, there are now five nearly completed homes!

Five home dedication ceremonies have been scheduled:

• March 24: Dedication of 874 Smith Street (3pm, RSVP here)
• March 28: Dedication of 96 Holworthy Street (10am, RSVP here)
• April 4: Dedication of 120 Holworthy Street (10am, RSVP here)
• April 18: Dedication of 105 Holworthy Street (10am, RSVP here)
• April 18: Dedication of 126 Holworthy Street (1pm, RSVP here)

If you helped fund or build any of these houses, or are a regular Habitat supporter, we welcome you to join us in the transition of these construction sites into Habitat homes!

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!