Habitat International also has an interesting web site: http://www.habitat.org/
Habitat for Humanity's East Bay Chapter recently completed its 300th home, a feat which took around 20 years to achieve, with projects ranging from Oakley and Brentwood to Livermore and west to Oakland and Hayward, and lots of places in-between. Thanks to more volunteers and donations, the goal is to complete the next 200 homes within the next 5 years.
Mike usually volunteers every Wednesday, and goes to different sites where he is needed that week. Recently, he has worked most often on various projects (including electrical, which he enjoys most of all) at the new 9-home site in Bay Point, the 22 new home site near the Oakland Coliseum, and several foreclosed houses that Habitat is completely rebuilding.
As an electrical engineer, Mike likes to do electrical work on the new homes, but in the course of years of volunteering with Habitat has learned to do forming for foundations, all kinds of framing, windows, siding, roofs, kitchen cabinets, doors, stairways, railings, furnaces, etc.
Habitat has already acquired land for the next two developments. One is very near to the Walnut Creek BART station, and will consist of 10 new townhomes, while the other property is in Oakland, not far from the Oakland Airport -- although plans aren't finalized, it looks like this site could hold 12 townhome-style units. Construction on both of these is anticipated to start in July 2012.
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At first, it was just dirt. Then the ground-breaking ceremonies, and then Mike and the other volunteers got busy on the forms for the concrete foundations. And then like magic, the houses start to rise! The lady shown here at the ground-breaking was chosen as the first homeowner at this new site -- the next day, she was there again, starting on her 500 hours of "sweat equity" required work on the houses, which is in lieu of a cash down payment.
78 new townhouses in East Oakland - Habitat's most ambitious project to date!
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