After finishing Habitat for Humanity Tri-Cities' 75th home, the nonprofit is turning its home ownership efforts toward east Kennewick.
The nonprofit has begun developing homes in the new Garden Court subdivision near St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
The first of seven homes is expected to be finished by May 19, when Habitat for Humanity will be celebrating Impact Day for the first time.
Impact Day stands for "Individuals mobilizing people and communities together," said Theresa Richardson, the nonprofit's executive director.
The day will include dedicating the first Garden Court home and launching the nonprofit's new Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, and it also will be a day of volunteers providing critical home repairs for families.
Richardson said Habitat for Humanity is in the process of putting in sewer and water lines in the property near South Jean Place and Fifth Avenue.
The home will be a blitz build -- from foundation to finished in five days, Richardson said. Professionals work three layers thick, and have the construction scheduled down to the minute.
The family who will receive the home has already finished 500 hours of sweat equity with Habitat for Humanity, Richardson said. Working on other Habitat homes count.
She expects four of the seven homes will be finished this year.
Richardson said the agency also will launch the new Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative, started nationwide by Habitat for Humanity last year.
Low-income families, seniors, disabled adults and veterans can apply to receive critical home repair, roofing, window replacements, painting and weatherization, she said,
It's an extension of A Brush of Kindness, a program where the nonprofit already has helped rehabilitate almost 20 homes in the Tri-Cities since July, Richardson said.
Richardson said they are looking for applications. Habitat had planned to target the Garden Court area but are expanding to include other Tri-City homes.
Families will pay 10 percent of the value added to their home and will be asked to volunteer in some way, keeping with the nonprofit's motto of "a hand up, not a hand out," Richardson said.
When people are proud of their homes, they maintain them, she said. And when families are invested in the neighborhood, they do things such as organize neighborhood watches.
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