Raising roofs, launching dreams: Habitat for Humanity launches spring building projects

Habitat for Humanity has been building homes in Collin County for several decades, typically constructing houses one at a time. However, in the coming months, the organization will begin construction on at least 18 new houses throughout Plano, Frisco and McKinney.

The county is divided into two portions, with Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County operating south of State Highway 121, and North Collin County Habitat for Humanity building homes north of 121. To date, the two groups have built more than 130 homes in Collin County.

The largest of the upcoming projects had its official groundbreaking Saturday. Ten new single family residences are being built at 11th Street and E Avenue on land previously owned by the Plano Housing Authority. The property lies adjacent to the Douglass Community, sight of 48 Habitat builds since 1997.

"We were interested in purchasing the property when we learned it was available," said Sid Buniff, development director for Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County. "The property is bisected by 11th Street and we went into a partnership with the Avenue F Church of Christ. We purchased the property on the north side of the road and the church bought the property on the south side."

Buniff said construction on the first of the 10 houses will begin on May 12, with work on the second beginning June 2. Each house will be about 1,200 square feet and will take about 3 1/2 months to complete. After the second house is completed in August, construction will begin on the final eight homes after Labor Day.

Unlike past builds which had had themes, such as the Women's Build and the Extreme Build for Youth, the 10 new homes will be built largely by volunteers from the program's sponsors.

"On the sponsor builds, the workers usually depend on who the sponsor is," Buniff said. "Sometimes it is a single company and sometimes it is several companies. They provide money as well as people to work on the houses. Other workers come from the community and from area churches."

Southern Collin County is not the only portion of the county that Habitat is active in. In McKinney and Frisco, eight families will be blessed with a home of their own this summer thanks to the North Collin County Habitat for Humanity.

The new homes are part of this year's Builders Blitz, a nationwide Habitat for Humanity project aimed at building and renovating more than 200 homes across the United States, thanks to the skilled labor provided by local professional homebuilders and construction firms. The conglomeration works closely to organize all aspects of building, including securing subcontractors and suppliers, fundraising and seeking donations of materials. Builders participating in the program this year will work with more than 100 Habitat affiliates.

"We are excited to partner with builders and engage them in our work to help families in need of affordable housing," said Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International CEO, in a release. "By sharing their talents and skills with us, we are able to increase our capacity to help transform communities. We thank the builders for their commitment and dedication to making Home Builders Blitz 2012 a success."

The build begins with a wall raising ceremony in McKinney's LaLoma neighborhood near Old Settler's Park on Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m.

The week-long Blitz Build, during which all eight homes will be completed from framing to finish, will take place June 4-8, with some construction starting early in May. A Blitz Build dedication ceremony on June 9 will mark two important milestones for the organization: celebration of its 20th anniversary and the kick-off of a neighborhood revitalization program in conjunction with the city of McKinney entitled "Together We Serve."

"We at Habitat are just thrilled and honored to be working with such incredible builders, sponsors and volunteers for this year's massive Blitz Build event, said Larry Pietenpol, president elect of the North Collin County board of directors.

One of the partners is Frisco-based homebuilder Darling Homes. Steven Darling said he and his brothers began working with Habitat for Humanity when the organization began in 1992, helping build its first house. Now on number 13, Darling said the partnership has become a very natural one that is expected to continue for years to come.

"We started 25 years ago in McKinney, so it was a perfect match for us," Darling said. "We are involved in a lot of charities and Habitat was one of first ones we started with because of the match up. It's a part of our culture and what we wanted to do."

Homeowners who purchase Habitat houses are selected based on certain criteria, Buniff said. First, the family must have an income that falls within a certain range, typically 25-60 percent of the area median income. Once selected, the homeowner must purchase their house, but the mortgages are interest free, Buniff said.

The homeowners must also be willing to donate 400 of what Buniff called "sweat-equity hours." These hours may be spent helping build their home or by working on other Habitat builds, or by working at the Plano or McKinney ReStore locations, retail stores operated by Habitat for Humanity. The stores are located at 1400 Summit Ave. in Plano and 2060 Couch Dr. in McKinney.

For information on Habitat for Humanity in Collin County, visit www.habitat-scc.org or www.ncc-habitat.com.

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