Habitat for Humanity Chatham-Kent has taken a different route during the COVID-19 pandemic to fulfill its goal of putting families into quality homes.
Two families already received homes earlier this year, but how they ended up in their new addresses was unique to the local volunteer-based organization.
In February, a family moved into the seventh home Habitat has built in Chatham-Kent since 2013.
Mike Coyne, ReStore director at Habitat, said the build was supposed to be completed in 2020 but, with COVID-19 having an impact on regulations for volunteers, “we ended up hiring a contractor to do the building for this year because we still didn ‘t have any certainty with volunteers.”
Habitat’s volunteer manager, Anne Taylor, described the approach as “kind of surreal” for the organization, saying it was strange to be at a build site and “not see volunteers swinging the hammer.”
Even the rules for the contractors meant that electricians couldn’t be in the building at the same time as the plumbers, Coyne noted.
There was also the added challenge of soaring building costs.
“But we were fortunate because we had a lot of generosity from a lot of different businesses and vendors in Chatham-Kent, so it saved us quite a bit of money,” Coyne said.
He added Habitat was also thankful for the generous donation of the building lot by Wallaceburg’s Bethel Pentecostal Church.
The local Habitat had another first here when it purchased the first home it ever built. One of the provisions of Habitat projects is having the first option to buy back a house it builds.
“It’s a success story,” Coyne said. “The very first homeowner moved out of province, transitioning in his own life.”
Habitat bought back the home at market value, minus a few contractual obligations, and then went in and finished a few touch ups. Habitat was then able to place a new family in the home at the end of January, Coyne said.
Although there was some learning curves along the way, Taylor said the ultimate goal remains getting families into new homes, “so even though it looked different, our end result was the same.”
Habitat currently has three home lots in its land bank, one each in Chatham, Thamesville and Wallaceburg, with the goal of building a new home next year. Habitat plans to begin looking for a partner family soon.
Taylor said Habitat has also set a goal of undertaking a multi-residential build in the future but needs to find a suitable lot.
“It might take a little longer to build, but if you could house two, three or four families instead of one at a time that would provide a greater benefit,” said Coyne.
Building smaller units that are more affordable than the average home could help cope with soaring home prices in Chatham-Kent, he added.
Taylor said Habitat has received properties via various means in the past – from outright donations to reduced purchase prices. She added Habitat has even arranged to have a few homes razed to be able to use the lot.
Habitat is also seeing an increase in its longtime salvage program. If someone is renovating their kitchen, for example, and wants to donate the old cabinets, Habitat can send in an experienced crew to remove them for free, Coyne said. The donor then receives a tax receipt for what the cabinets sell for in Habitat’s ReStore.
“We’ve had some really nice donations” Coyne said. “It’s a good service and it’s very beneficial to us because it’s good income.”
Habitat is also looking to the future when its current ReStore lease expires in a few years. The organization has purchased a property on the corner of Junction Avenue and Sass Road in the new industrial park development under construction, Coyne said.
“Our goal is to put a new ReStore and affiliate office there,” he said.
Habitat has some fundraisers coming up as it prepares for that future.
Tickets go on sale Friday for its Spring into Summer Raffle, which features three packages packed with outdoor items. Habitat will be at the home show this weekend selling tickets, which cost $5 each or five for $20.
A trivia night is also scheduled for June 2 at Sons of Kent – tickets are $25 per person – while a golf tournament is being held on June 24 at Maple City Country Club. The entry fee for that tournament is $225 per golfer for 18 holes and a cart, along with lunch and dinner.
More details on how to apply to be a family partners, donate property or register for upcoming fundraisers is available online at www.habitatchatham-kent.ca.