Work is scheduled to begin Aug. 16 on the first two units of the newest project by Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region.
The five-unit housing project will be built at 23 Howe Drive and is expected to be complete by early December.
This project is part of a larger initiative that will see two other blocks of town-houses, each with six units, expected to be complete by the end of 2012.
The project will be the first to include one-bedroom units to accommodate single parents.
There will also be one unit that is fully wheelchair accessible, the first of its kind in Waterloo Region, according to Leonor Weaver the development associate in charge of volunteers.
“I am always looking for volunteers. We definitely need more for this project,” said Weaver.
Each unit requires 15 volunteers per day over seven weeks. If each volunteer commits to the recommended three-day work period, this project will need more than 1,000 volunteers, and that’s just for building.
Weaver said more volunteers are needed for hospitality tasks, administration and clean-up.
The first two buildings, which require about 200 volunteers, still have spaces open in all areas.
Volunteers on the build must be 18-years-old or older. Volunteers aged 14-18 can volunteer in hospitality services, administration and in clean-up tasks.
High-school student volunteers can put this time toward the 40 hours of community service required to graduate.
Each build also requires two team leaders. Weaver said this position can be filled by anyone with basic construction knowledge and a familiarity with tools who is also a good leader.
Registration is best done online, through the website www.hfhwr.ca. This allows volunteers to search open days and fit them around their schedule.
The projects run 9-5 on weekdays only.
The first five units of the Howe Drive project have corporate or family sponsors. Each commits to financial support and some commit to sending volunteers.
The Kerr Family is sponsoring the building of one of the units to start this month.
Peter Benninger Coldwell Banker Realty is sponsoring the other and will contribute some company volunteers along with their families.
Manulife Financial will sponsor two units scheduled to begin in September. Weaver said the company has guaranteed four of the seven weeks’ worth of volunteers from its staff members locally.
The fifth unit will be sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. of Cambridge and the local MCAP branch.
This is the second block of housing of its kind to be built in the region.
The Cherry Street block of townhomes was the first multi-unit housing project built by Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region.
It was built from 2007-2009 and houses 19 families in townhouses.
Building on what the charity has learned from that project, the Howe Drive townhouses will feature one, two and three bedroom houses to cater to the specific needs of the families approved by the charity.
Families are approved only once housing is guaranteed so no family is left waiting.
They are selected based on several criteria including their income bracket, having at least one child under 13, having no previous criminal record and being able to prove residence in Waterloo Region for at least three years.
Once approved, each family is required to volunteer 250 hours to the building of their unit.
“It gives them an incredible sense of ownership over their home,” said Weaver.
Weaver has been working with the charity for three years as a staff member.
She said the best part is seeing how happy the families are when they move into their own home.
“The kids are beside themselves they’re so happy,” she said.
The work gives her and volunteers a sense of accomplishment having supported the community and helped to make it safer by giving these families a hand up to a better future.
However, Weaver said she has seen a decline in that support over the past few years, especially in food donations.
The charity provides a noon-hour meal to all volunteers, which is where the hospitality volunteers help out, serving and preparing the food.
Weaver and her team set up a full kitchen on-site along with a barbecue and a freezer. If food is donated in bulk they have the capacity to store it over a long period of time.
“Churches were our biggest donors but now many have closed or are growing older or are busy doing other things. Their congregations are dwindling,” said Weaver. She added that no one is stepping in to fill this void.
Restaurants and major companies are cutting back, especially since the start of the recession, and Weaver said she is having difficulty coming up with enough food to feed all of the volunteers.
Despite these setbacks, all of the units in the first five-unit block are expected to be completed on schedule.
2011 will see the first of the six-unit blocks and 2012 the second.
by Sarah Anderson, The Record
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/758296