Habitat for Humanity doing 65th local build
For Abdi Warsama and Fatima Ismail, becoming owners of the 65th home built locally by Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex isn’t just symbolic of economic freedom — it’s also literal freedom for their family.
The couple have a 16-year-old disabled daughter who uses a wheelchair and the home designed to be completely accessible will remove many barriers she faces in the family ’s current apartment. “This is life-changing for our entire family,” Warsama said. “You’ve created a confidence, a hope and strength.
“It means when the electricity goes out and the lift isn’t working, Amina is no longer trapped in our apartment.
“The apartment isn’t designed for raising a child with a disability. This home will remove so many challenges for us.” Deserving the largest serving of gratitude is Windsor native Gerald Chevalier.
The 90-year-old retired mechanical engineer donated the land for the home on St. Luke Road near Seminole Avenue in Ford City. The land donation is the largest the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity has received to date. It’ll be used as the site for five homes in all.
“I’m happy for the family,” Chevalier said. “All the publicity will also help Habitat for Humanity.” Chevalier had originally intended to build an office building on the site when he purchased the land 15 years ago.
However, the city changed the zoning to residential shortly thereafter.
“I was tired of cutting the grass,” joked Chevalier of why he donated the land.
In reality the idea to donate the land to Habitat came when he saw the group building other homes along St. Luke.
The donation also allows Habitat to widen its aim beyond just building a home. Executive-director Fiona Coughlin said the five-home project also fits into the drive to help revitalize Ford City.
“Build number 65 will not only provide affordable housing to a family, it will also launch an ongoing neighbourhood revitalization strategy that focuses on partnership with ‘Build Ford City,’ ” Coughlin said.
“Our board of directors has unanimously agreed to increase our capacity to build affordable homes and to work collaboratively to include neighbourhood revitalization as a strategy.”
With one in four children growing up below the poverty line locally, Coughlin said the waiting list for subsidized housing has doubled in 2017. The construction of this home, which should be completed by spring 2019, is part of an increased effort this year by the organization.
“This year we committed to three builds, this is our third groundbreaking of 2018,” Coughlin said.
“We know that for every $1 invested in a Habitat build, there is a $4 return to the community. Home ownership stops poverty in its tracks.”
Coughlin said there are more than 9,000 volunteers, sponsors and donors involved in this project.
Support has come from local sponsors such as Reaume Chevrolet and Caesar’s Windsor, which made its largest-ever donation to Habitat, to the provision of tools from American supporters.