Habitat for Humanity committee members are passing on the house keys to a number of new homeowners across the province as their build projects for the year come to completion.

“To be able to hand over the keys to a deserving homeowner is truly an exciting experience, and to see the community come together to build a home is just fantastic,” shares Steve Krahn, Vice President of Regional Development for Habitat Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.

Over the past year, Krahn has been overseeing 20 build projects throughout his region. He says this is a typical number of new homes built in any given year, however they have a goal of 25 homes set for 2022.

“We have a total of thirteen different Chapters that have built homes for families that were living and working in those communities and wanted to be there long-term,” he explains, “and the idea of having a new home with payments that are geared to their income is really attractive to those families, and is an opportunity for them to become embedded in those communities to be able to serve in those communities.”

Including the operations in Winnipeg, there are 12 Habitat Chapters across Manitoba, as well as a Chapter in Dryden and in Kenora, Ontario.

Krahn says one of the hallmarks of the program is the hours a family puts into the building of their own home prior to moving in. They must put in 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ into the construction process.

“What we find quite often is that these families continue on with that generosity and spirit. We also see our families engaging much more in the community. They now have free time to sit on committees, or to assist in the schools. Truly the idea of affordable home ownership is transformational, not only for the family, but can also assist the community as a whole.”

Communities that are interested in starting a Chapter with Habitat for Humanity are most welcome to contact Steve Krahn for more information.

One criterion is for the community to be able to sustain the monetary support from the community, and to be able to support the various services for the actual construction of the home. Building material and construction services are to be sourced in that community as much as possible.

“In communities where we don’t have Chapters right now, we’re always open to investigate, whether having a Chapter in a local community makes sense,” he explains. “In order for a Chapter to be successful it needs to be able to draw on volunteers, local donors and local businesses. So, if you’re a community with a population of above 2000 and are interested in being a part of the solution for housing in your community, I’d be happy to discuss this further with you and see whether we can get a Chapter going in your community.”