Habitat for Humanity Edmonton presents keys to first Carter Work Project home
Building first of 75 to be completed as part of affordable housing effort
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, visited Edmonton in July, joining hundreds of volunteers who devoted their time and effort to help build affordable housing in Alberta’s capital city.
The fruits of those labours were evident Monday, as Habitat for Humanity Edmonton and Rohit Communities presented the keys to the first Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project home to Edmonton resident Jenna and her daughter, Anabelle. (Habitat for Humanity does not release the last names or addresses of people it houses for privacy reasons.)
“Anabelle and I feel very blessed to be here,” Jenna said before receiving the keys to her new home in Allard, a neighbourhood on Edmonton’s southern border. “Home ownership has been a goal of ours for a long time — having a safe place to call home. We are sincerely grateful to the Rohit Group and Habitat for Humanity Edmonton.”
Homeowners have a hands-on role in the construction process. As part of the deal they sign with Habitat for Humanity, they must contribute 500 hours of volunteer labour during construction, and Jenna was in good company during her home construction project.
“The Carters set a goal to build 150 homes across Canada, and since Habitat for Humanity Edmonton is the largest affiliate in Canada, we pledged to build 75 of the 150 homes,” said Alfred Nikolai, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity
Edmonton.
The project included the construction of 58 homes in the Laurel community in southeast Edmonton, as well as 16 homes in Fort Saskatchewan. However, that total — 74 — was just shy of the ultimate goal.
“We were one short, so we approached the Rohit Group for the final home,” said Nikolai. “Donations are a huge benefit, and it’s a real blessing to be able to do it this way, with so much volunteer involvement, providing safe, decent, affordable homes for people in our community.”
The Rohit Group has donated three homes to Habitat for Humanity Edmonton since 2011. Successful homeowner applicants receive an interest-free mortgage amortized to ensure no more than 25 per cent of their household income is spent on mortgage payments.
“During this project, we got to see thousands of volunteers who worked together to ensure housing for all,” said Rohit Gupta, president of the Rohit Group of Companies. “That’s one of the things that makes Edmonton great — that neighbourhoods don’t just include homes, but opportunities to engage with the community.”
Jenna and Anabelle are the first Edmonton homeowners to benefit from the Carter Work Project, with several more on the way. While recent wet weather has slowed construction efforts, Habitat for Humanity Edmonton plans to unveil more homes in the coming months, continuing the work that began in July.
“We had about 1,200 people volunteering each day ... and during that week we got a lot more work done than we expected,” said Nikolai.
“But ... it also takes money to put these projects together. We’re hoping to receive some donations between now and Christmas to keep things moving forward.”
For more information on Habitat for Humanity Edmonton or the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, please visit www.hfh.org.