Labor of Love
City Builds Three More Habitat for Humanity Homes for Local Families
June 26, 2019
For City of Tallahassee employees, building three homes in the Griffin Heights neighborhood over the past three months has been a labor of love, made possible by a partnership between the City and Big Bend Habitat for Humanity. Leaders with both organizations will officially present keys to the new homeowners and their deserving families at a special ceremony that will be held on Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. on Connecticut Street.
“Home should be an attainable goal for every resident of Tallahassee,” Mayor John Dailey said. “The City’s partnership with Big Bend Habitat for Humanity is just one way that we are helping to address the expansion of affordable housing options in our community. I’m extremely proud of our efforts and the dedicated City employees who helped make these homes possible.”
Earlier this year, the City Commission voted to sponsor the construction of three Habitat for Humanity homes, in the form of financial support in the amount of $195,000 and volunteered manpower provided by City of Tallahassee employees. This marks the third consecutive year the City has partnered with Big Bend Habitat for Humanity.
Building of the three homes officially began on Saturday, March 23. Since then, City employees have volunteered nearly 600 hours of their own time on Fridays and Saturdays to complete the homes’ construction. From literally raising roofs and framing the homes through laying sod and moving furniture, volunteers participated in every stage of construction.
With work now complete, the families of Recha Evans, Kimberly Johnson, and Dion & Laterika Dehaney can move in and enjoy homes built with care. The three homes are located on Connecticut Street.
The completion of these three new homes marks eight total homes the City has built through the partnership with Big Bend Habitat for Humanity. In fall 2017, City employees successfully built two homes for local families in southwest Tallahassee on McArthur Street and, the following spring, built three more in the Griffin Heights and Frenchtown neighborhoods – two on Harlem Street and one nearby on Colorado Street.
“At Big Bend Habitat for Humanity, there’s no greater reward than helping dreams come alive for families and communities,” said Antoine Wright, executive director of Big Bend Habitat for Humanity. “During this build process City employees poured their hearts and hard work into building homes for three deserving families; this is the same kind of commitment they show every day for the residents of Tallahassee.”
Big Bend Habitat for Humanity provides affordable homeownership to low-income persons. The Habitat for Humanity model allows for groups and individuals to sponsor homes through financial contributions and pledges of volunteer labor. Individuals who acquire a home through Habitat for Humanity must in turn provide volunteer labor for other homes built by the organization.
For more information about Big Bend Habitat for Humanity, visit BigBendHabitat.org. To learn more about the City’s commitment to affordable housing, visit Talgov.com.
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