Work continues at the Habitat for Humanity project at 210 Lyle Street in St. James.
Organizers expect families may be able to move in late this year or early next.
It’s something that never gets old for Habitat for Humanity Manitoba’s CEO, Sandy Hopkins.
"This is my eighth build," he said as he surveyed the beehive of activity behind him at 210 Lyle Street in St. James, site of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project that ran from July 10 to 14.
"Like all the other projects I’ve been involved with, this has been a coming together of community that’s unmatched. Wednesday was cold with pouring rain, yet everyone was smiling and working hard. There was a sense of joy that was infectious."
In all, 16 homes were being built on the former site of the St. James Police Station on Lyle Street as part of Habitat’s commitment to building 150 homes with 150 families as part of Canada’s 150th birthday celebration. Hopkins said the project — which was two years in the making — also included construction of five ready-to-move infill homes (to be used in Winnipeg) and four homes in Portage la Prairie and Brandon (two for each community).
"We reached agreement with the city two years ago, then had to go through public hearings and all the other processes necessary to get clearance to build here. The homes had to fit into the community, and had to be single-family homes due to proximity to the airport."
And while all the homes look to be the same at first glance, that isn’t the case, said Michelle Pereira, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba’s V.P. of Marketing, Communications & Philanthropy.
"Each home is custom-built based on a family’s needs and size. Owners get to pick items like flooring and cabinets, and each home is completely, professionally done. Companies involved include FloForm (countertops) Kitchen Craft and Thomasville cabinets (under the Master Brand banner), Hunter Douglas Blinds, Dufresne and Ashley Furniture HomeStore."
Once the homes are finished — each one is a bungalow — families are expected to take possession in December, or early in the new year.
"They’ll be the most energy-efficient homes in Manitoba with ICF (insulated concrete form) Logix basements, high-efficient electric furnaces, tri-pane all-weather windows and top-of-the line mechanical systems," said Pereira, adding that each home will have a back-lane entrance. "And all the homes should be landscaped within a year."
As is normally the case with Habitat-built homes, new owners will purchase the homes from Habitat at fair market value. No down payment is required, there’s no interest on the mortgage for 15 years and owners must be able to afford payments that come to 27 per cent of their gross income.
Additionally, new owners must put 500 hours of sweat equity into the home they’re going to live in, take eight weeks of homeowner training courses — and stay in the home for 10 years.
"All homeowners will participate in training in things like budgeting and how to take care of their home," she said. "For example, each home comes with a furnace with an HVAC system, so each homeowner needs to get training on how to properly take care of it. Some of these folks have never owned a home, so the training is invaluable."
Hopkins said the location of the build couldn’t be better.
"It’s next to a community centre (Deer Lodge) and there’s a school nearby. That’s a real plus, as 50 kids will be going into the houses. Assiniboine Park is also close by, and it’s just a short drive to Polo Park and all kinds of shops, stores and services on Portage Avenue."
Pereira added that support from the surrounding community has been nothing short of incredible.
"The community has been so fabulous. We had one instance where a lady — who’s not a Habitat partner — wrote a personal cheque for $50,000 in support of the project. She couldn’t do enough to help us. Her help, as well as the help of all our partners and volunteers, is going to go a long way toward helping the families who are going to be proud owners of the homes everyone has come together to build here."
lewys@mymts.net
