Work is getting underway on a Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce building site in Owen Sound.
Habitat is working on four homes locally, this summer.
One is a duplex in Owen Sound and two are part of an ongoing development at the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation on the Bruce Peninsula.
Local Habitat Executive Director Greg Fryer says excavation of the Owen Sound build site on 4th Avenue East began last week. It is being built on the site of a former duplex that was burned down during the 2015 arson spree in the city.
Fryer says it will be a semi-detached house with two homes for two families. One family is a single mother with two children and the other is a couple with two children.
Fryer notes, one of the families is currently in County affordable housing, so providing them with a home frees up a unit in County housing.
“We're starting with foundation work next week and we're planning to wrap it up and have the families move in before Christmas.”
“Because of COVID, we're limiting the site to ten people,” says Fryer noting that includes staff, making it a maximum of seven volunteers at a time. Volunteers can register at habitatgreybruce.ca and choose a shift. It can be a whole day, half a day or even a few hours.
Those who are selected to live in Habitat homes put in 500 hours of sweat equity in the building of their homes.
Meanhwhile, Habitat is continuing its project at Neyaashiinigmiing this year with two more single-dwelling, three bedroom homes. “We started construction at the beginning of June and we're moving along quite well. We're entering into the drywall phase of the build, so we expect the houses to be done and the families to move in mid-September.”
That project is unique in Ontario, as Fryer says it is the first to be paid for by a First nation through funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Indigenous Services Canada, “It means the dollars from the federal government through those agencies are stretched further,” says Fryer.
Last year, six houses were built in the same development. Next year they plan to build four more and in 2022 they'll build two more for a total of 18 houses and a playground.
Meanwhile, Fryer says ReStores are back to business as usual and open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Hanover, Owen Sound and Port Elgin, “That's a big source of our funding,” says Fryer noting mask wearing and physical distancing is required. “We encourage people to drop by. There is always something different in the stores, almost virtually every day there's something new. One of a kind”
Restore is also taking donations and picking up donations from people's homes.
Fryer says the pandemic hasn't hurt Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce financially as significantly as it has some other charities and organizations, “Not so far this year, we've had the benefit of our donors stepping up to donate and honoring the donations that they've pledged earlier in the year and they've come through. It's fantastic.”
He also notes, at one point Habitat had to lay-off a number of employees for six weeks but the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy enabled them to bring those employees back.
Fryer says Habitat continues to plan for more builds, “We're always looking for land, that's our biggest need so any vacant building lots that are available, we're interested as long as we fell we can serve a low-income family well in that community on the lands available.”
He says next year could involve building a home on a property in Kincardine, though that decision hasn't been made yet. He also notes they have two pieces of property in Owen Sound.