On Wednesday, August 10, Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area (HFHSSMA) held a small Groundbreaking Ceremony to celebrate the start of their fifteenth affordable home build.
In attendance were the organization’s fifteenth (future) Habitat Homeowners, Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour, Jennifer Bellerose on behalf of MPP Ross Romano’s office, Mayor Christian Provenzano, Habitat staff and volunteers, and representatives from several businesses who have committed to sponsoring the build.
“We’re so grateful for all of the support that has already been committed to this project by local businesses, including SalDan Construction Group, Interfor, Soo Mill Buildall, DNM Plumbing & Heating, Guzzo Electrical Contracting, Tulloch Engineering, Rapid City Repair, Avery Construction, Sagen, FICMAR Builders Inc., DSSMSSAB, Reliance Home Comfort, Carlo Gervasi Personal Real Estate Corp., Cutting Edge Designs, Area Real Estate Appraisals, Vaultra Storage, Evolugen, Relevant Life Financial Group, Final Touch Property Maintenance, and Gary Trembinski,” states Chelsey Foucher, Fundraising & Marketing Coordinator.
“With that being said, building a house is expensive and there is plenty of space left on our build site sponsor sign to showcase the generosity of even more businesses – should they wish to donate!” encourages Foucher.
This new Habitat Home will be a wheelchair-accessible, four-bedroom bungalow. The family will move in by the end of 2022 when the build is complete.
“Owning a home enables families to build equity for the future which can be passed on to their children as intergenerational wealth. Affordable ownership opportunities, like Habitat’s programs, provide historically disadvantaged populations with this same opportunity and that has the potential to change the entire community. Our aim is to positively impact the families we serve, but then we want the impact to ripple out through increased participation in the labour market, greater educational achievement by children, and a reduction in the use of social services. Housing is a key component of a healthy community,” explains Katie Blunt, Executive Director.
Through the National Housing Strategy (NHS), the Government of Canada has invested $65,000 into this home in Sault Ste. Marie, bringing Habitat for Humanity one step closer to creating 414 new affordable homes across Canada. This investment is part of a total federal financial commitment of $32.4 million over three years (2019-2021) to Habitat for Humanity Canada and its affiliate organizations.
“Our government believes that every Canadian deserves a safe place to call home. Across the country, we are working with Habitat for Humanity to build the safe, appropriate, affordable housing necessary for healthy and sustainable communities. Here in Sault Ste. Marie, the investments in this new home will make a real difference in the lives of one hard-working family – a place they can proudly call their own.”—Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour
As a non-profit, HFHSSMA relies on the generosity of volunteers, donors, and corporate sponsors to achieve its mission. If your business is interested in donating to or sponsoring this build, please reach out to Chelsey Foucher, Fundraising & Marketing Coordinator, at marketing@habitatsault.ca to discuss this opportunity.