Habitat New Haven Annual Report 2011

Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven Established May 9, 1986

Each Habitat home built by Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven is a collaborative, community effort. On behalf

of the Staff, Board of Directors and the families

we serve, please accept our thanks for believing

in Habitat’s mission, for believing in and

supporting the organization, and putting your

dollars and hands to work. We are enormously

grateful that the organization, which was always

meant to be community based and volunteer

driven, remains that way twenty-five years after

its inception.

The production of the retrospective

booklet is made possible by:

Fred Dunn

Jennifer Rook

Lorraine Martin

Ellen McNally

Sacha Kaufer

Bill Casey

The Smith, Castro, Jeffries, Banks,Berrios, Walters and Green familiesLiz Swenson, Jose Luis Bedolla and Sue Sigler

Photos credits: Amy Etra, Jennifer Rook, Ellen McNally and unknown

copyright © 2011

Although HfHGNH is not a traditional preservation organization, Habitat has saved many historic homes that would have been otherwise slated for demolition due to their extremely poor condition. The construction staff and volunteers have always taken care to preserve facades and whatever historical interior elements that can be saved. In neighborhoods like Trowbridge Square, which is a designated historic district, the organization has demonstrated its ability to work within those restrictions.

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155 Cedar StreetTrowbridge Square

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The first meeting to organize a new affiliate of Habit at for Humanity was held on January 22, 1986 at the Church of the Ascension in New Haven. On May 9th, 1986, Habitat for Humanity, New Haven Inc. (the organization’s first name) filed the certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of the State.

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which was highly publicized at the time, the group agreed with him that responsible homeownership was the key. They decided that rescuing abandoned properties and turning them into homes in partnership with low income families was a good way to begin here in New Haven.

At the time, there were 117 Habitat affiliates in the country (compared to approximately 1,500 today) and only one other in Connecticut,

in Bridgeport. Meeting regularly at the Church of the Ascension on Lamberton St, the group moved towards becoming an affiliate. It incorporated on May 9, 1986, listing the officers as Butch Console, Herman Harris, Rosalie Richards and Chuck Shepard. Jorge Perez, Jim Rosenberry, Patrick Nugent, Dave Turner, Dean Peckham, John Olson, Michael Dye, Ruth Drews and Lee Burnham comprised the rest of the founding members. By the end of 1986, Habitat for Humanity of New Haven had been approved and inducted by Habitat for Humanity International and had identified a house at 3-5 Cassius Street as its first project. The City of New Haven transferred the property to the affiliate and architect Cary Nordstom soon designed the rehab of the three family house.

Early in 1987, three future homeowners applied for homes and were accepted. Pedro Texidor, Amado Jiminez and Francisco Torres and their friends and families began work on the required 400 hour sweat equity, side by side with board members and volunteers from the community. Progress was slow, partly because volunteers were scarce and because work had to be halted every once in a while until money was available for building supplies…and to buy ladders that reached higher than

the first floor! When the first grant was received, from the New Haven Foundation (now Community Foundation for Greater New Haven), a professional carpenter was hired to help direct the volunteer workers and to work alone when there were no volunteers available. After almost two years, the house was

dedicated although it continued to need additional work for several years.

Kathy Hurley, the affiliate’s first paid Executive Director, remembers the high point of the first year. It was a visit from Jimmy Carter and Millard Fuller, who conducted a march through the Hill to raise awareness and were hostedby the board of directors at a dinner in the Center Church parish house.

Many organizations and agencies have helped the New Haven affiliate to succeed, but the early supporters, including the New Haven Foundation, the New Haven Community Loan Fund, the Junior League, Bank of New Haven, United Illuminating, the Hill Development Corporation led by Courtland Wilson, West Haven Lumber and, perhaps most of all, the City of New Haven, showed enormous faith in the fledgling group and kept the dream alive. They provided contributions of supplies, office space, money, and property. The Yale School of Architecture made a huge contribution, agreeing to partner with New Haven Habitat in 1989 in a design competition for architecture students completing their first year of study.

History of Habitat for Humanity of Greater New HavenIn the mid 1980’s, the city of New Haven had a growing problem. Many families were leaving the City and, as each one left, the city appeared more run down and more abandoned. Two neighbors in the Hill section were determined to do what they could to reverse the downward trend in the city they both valued. Bonaventure (Butch) Console and Charles (Chuck) Shepard gathered a group of like-minded community leaders to find a solution. Aware of Jimmy Carter’s commitment to Habitat for Humanity,

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The winning design was to be built, beginning with the students themselves and then completed by volunteers, staff and homeowners. In all, seven homes were built in partnership with the Yale School of Architecture.

Not surprisingly, there have been low points in our history. There even were times when the continuation of the affiliate seemed uncertain. In the early nineties, money, property and willing volunteers were all in short supply. Two furnaces were stolen from a house in progress; the office was robbed of its computer, telephone and typewriter; and one of the homeowner families left town, leaving behind a huge mess. Construction was halted for months on several occasions and the board contemplated closing the office. However, they never really considered disbanding. Using a mailing list that numbered over 1400, they worked every possible contact and connection to obtain low interest loans and donations from Habitat International, and many generous and dedicated individuals. Warehouse space at the New Haven Terminal was donated, allowing the affiliate to accept and store donated building supplies. During that period, new policies were adopted: no more multi-family houses were to be built; deed restrictions were implemented related to re-sales; clear family income restrictions were adopted; and a preference was given to concentrating efforts in specific neighborhoods (Newhallville & The Hill). By the middle of the decade, it was clear that the affiliate was growing and beginning to make an important contribution to New Haven.

As with all non-profit organizations, however, donations and grants, even large ones, can never supply all of the funds necessary so other sources had to be developed. Over the years, New Haven Habitat has tried many techniques, some familiar to most non-profits such as tag sales, benefit concerts, kitchen tours, wine tastings and golf tournaments and others more tailored to the Habitat mission, including the Men’s Auxiliary Bake Sale and the celebrity tool auction. All of these havebeen successful and some were repeated for many years. The two most successful by far have been the Habitat Bicycle Challenge and the various theme builds. For thirteen years,

beginning in 1994, groups of college students rode from the East coast to the West, stopping along the way at various Habitat affiliates for work days and in innumerable small communities in order to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing. In all, over 700 students participated and they raised 2.4 million dollars for Habitat in New Haven.

In 1995, three separate groups formed, each agreeing to provide money to sponsor a house and to send volunteers to build it: the Women’s Build, whose honorary chair was Rosa DeLauro; the Collegiate Build, with students from five area colleges participating, and the Covenant Build made up of twelve local religious congregations. All of these were successfully repeated for many years. More recently, theme builds have been organized around area communities. These include Madison Cares, (Madison, Guilford and Branford), Amity Cares (Orange, Bethany and Woodbridge) and the Sleeping Giant Build (Hamden, North Haven and New Haven) with local businesses, clubs, congregations and individuals from the sponsoring community participating.

By 2001, fifteen years after the New Haven group began, there were eleven Habitat affiliates in CT, although some were quite small. Habitat International proposed that we merge with the Wallingford affiliate which had been in existence for 12 years. It was an all volunteer group that had built six homes. In late 2003, that merger was completed, with New Haven acquiring the assets of the Wallingford affiliate and making a commitment to build at least two new homes in Wallingford. The Town of Wallingford donated two building

lots across the street from its Senior Center in 2005, and with a sponsorship from Liberty Bank Foundation and the help of students from Wilcox Tech and many area congregations, two single family houses were completed.

Although every Habitat home is important, there are three building projects that stand out

over the last twenty-five years. In 1998 the affiliate began acquiring and rehabbinghomes on Read Street in the Newhallville Neighborhood of New Haven. Between 1998 and 2003, the organization gut rehabbed six historic homes in partnership with six terrific families. Read Street had a troubled reputation and by carefully placing stable homeowners in key properties, these families

created a blockwatch with their neighbors, got involved with the neighborhood management team and transformed a four block radius. Avariety of sponsors, including the CollegiateBuild, NewAlliance Bank, The Connecticut Building Congress, and Citizens Bank provided the core funding for those homes.

Between 2004 and 2005, the organization completed three homes on Frances Hunter Drive as part of the creation of a new neighborhood off Dixwell Avenue. Those


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The organization’s telephone number, (203) 785-0794 was established in 1986 (and remains the same today). 5INtErEstING

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tExt Page 3homes were unique in the affiliate’s history because they are all fully ADA accessible and tailored to the needs of the families chosen as homeowners. We were proud to be a part of that new neighborhood; plus it was a positive experience to serve families who have needs beyond our typical Habitat home design. NewAlliance Foundation and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston were primary sponsors of those homes.

Many people associated with Habitat have been hearing about the Rosette Street home building project for years. Rosette Street is a

short street located off Howard Avenue in the Hill Neighborhood. In the 1990s, Habitat rehabbed a large number of historic homes on Spring Street. Based on that success, Rosette Street, being immediately adjacent, was the next logical step. In 2002-2003 the organization acquired two homes next door to each other, and those homes were sponsored by the Covenant Build. On the next block down, 96-110 Rosette, each piece was acquired slowly. Finally, in 2006 the organization selected homeowners and began building five homes, covering the whole block. The last home was transferred to its new homeowner in January, 2008. A total of seven total homes on Rosette Street, a once tough street, had been transformed by homeowners who actively worked to improve their quality of living. The organization won the Leveraging Award in 2008 from the Connecticut Community Development Association for the Rosette Street homes. Major sponsors included Knights of Columbus, Connecticut Building Congress, Madison Cares, Amity Cares, NewAlliance Foundation, Health Net of the Northeast, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and the Habitat Bicycle Challenge.

Sleeping Giant Build, Bank of America, Home Depot Foundation, the Skills for Life program and all its funders, and Webster Bank.

Over the past 25 years, Habitat has built 82 homes and accomplished a great deal in the greater New Haven area, but looking ahead, we see that there is still much more to do. We hope to continue such partnerships as the current one with the Youth Continuum which teaches job skills as well as building a house. We are also open to the idea of building outside of the City of New Haven as we have in Hamden and Wallingford. If we are to succeed at eliminating poverty housing, we must expand our impact on the community. With the help of our dedicated partners and sponsors and our many able volunteers, we are confident that we can realize our vision, one house, one family at a time.

In the last two years, the organization has set its sights on developing the north section of the Hill Neighborhood. With good public transportation and close proximity to downtown and Yale-New Haven Hospital, this is an ideal location for Habitat families. Years ago, we began building homes in Hill North on Hallock Street. More recently, homes were completed on Wilson Street and Sylvan Avenue. We are currently building homes on the nearby streets of Orchard and Elliot and additional properties will be acquired before the year’s end. By the end of 2011, twelve

homes will have been completed in Hill North. Thank you to our current major sponsors for partnering with us: Yale-New Haven Hospital, NewAlliance Foundation, Madison Cares,

In 1995 the first annual Robert J. LeFloch Memorial Golf Outing was held. The tournament represented a joint partnership between Habitat and the Connecticut Building Congress (CBC) and through that partnership, hundreds of area firms, businesses, and companies, donated funds to help sponsor Habitat homes. Tom DiBlasi was instrumental in creating that partnership and he served on every Golf Outing Committee between 1995 and 2010.

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Tom DiBlasi at the grill

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E x E c U t I v ED I r E c t O r s

Kathy Hurley 1988

Richard Gervais1989

Tim Newell1990-1992

Liz Swenson1992-1993

Jose Luis Bedolla1994-1997

Suzanne Miller1997-1999

Sue Sigler1999-2004

William P. Casey2004-present

L E t t E r F r O M

Liz swenson Executive Director from 1992-1993

Shortly after I joined the Habitat Board, the Executive Director, Tim Newell, moved to Boston. Would I apply to become Executive Director? After I accepted the position, I learned that Habitat had not done any building for a year and was in debt $67,000. The situation did not inspire confidence.

Next I learned that many of the Habitat homeowners were unhappy with their situations. Habitat had been renovating 2-3 family housing units into condos and, while grateful to Habitat for the ownership opportunity, the homeowners felt like they were still living in apartments. There were often grievances between adjoining condo owners, and families were dissatisfied with the quality of some of the work completed by well-meaning but semi-skilled volunteers. Finally, homeowners felt isolated in neighborhoods with serious crime problems.

Instead of renovating 2-3 unit buildings, we learned to renovate or build new only single family houses, to increase the happiness of Habitat homeowners and the perception of progress on multiple sites. We also worked to develop a model that was easily repeatable with some variations to help us lower costs and save money yet still create an excellent product.

In order to improve construction quality while working with mostly unskilled volunteers, we recruited a group of very skilled volunteers, all retired men, who would review the work completed the previous weekend by volunteers and fix any errors that had been made. They also did the work that needed to be done by skilled craftsmen, let us know when we needed to hire professionals for a particular task, and they prepared the site for the volunteer group coming the following Saturday. This work was overseen by a Construction Committee under the great leadership of Bob Frew, who had done many renovation projects around New Haven and was the master from whom we all learned.

There are so many people whose impressive and wonderful contributions helped create a foundation for the success that Habitat continues to enjoy. Tina Pihl, an AmeriCorps member, worked with me to establish the Yale College Chapter which we hoped to expand to other colleges, as it has. The Wednesday volunteer crew and Construction Committee were instrumental in establishing a high building standard. In addition, outreach to churches and civic groups was (and still is) critical.

So often, just when I would be wondering how we would meet the next challenge, someone would call or walk through the door with just the right match of talent. How does that happen? God, coincidence, luck, good fortune? I remember saying many prayers of gratitude!

Our family moved to Iowa City in 1993, and I applied for CDBG funding and began to create housing based on the Habitat model. In 1999, we returned to New England and moved to Old Saybrook where my husband, Les Swenson, is the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church.

When we moved back, I worked in Duo Dickinson’s office for a year and caught up a bit on Habitat. Since then I have worked with the Main Street Program in Portland, CT, and on town-wide economic development issues in Plainfield, CT. I was also one of the founders of the HOPE Partnership in Old Saybrook, which is currently creating 18 units of affordable housing in town and talking with neighboring shoreline towns about possible additional sites.

TO NEW HAVEN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: CHEERS! CONGRATULATIONS! GOOD WISHES! WELL DONE! FOR ALL THAT HAS BEEN AND ALL THAT IS TO COME!

Peace,Liz SwensonMay 2011


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At the ten years mark, 1996, twenty-three Habitat homes had been completed, all within the City of New Haven. 7INtErEstING

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L E t t E r F r O M

Jose Luis Bedolla Executive Director from 1994-1997

Dear Habitat friends:Greetings from Shanghai. I am genuinely touched that you reached out to find me.I live in California, in Berkley to be exact, when I am not somewhere else across the world. Lisa and I have three kids. I am traveling the world lately as the director of business development, I am in charge of Asia.

I constantly look back at my time in New Haven with great fondness and appreciation of my time there, the highlight of which was Habitat. The more I travel the world and see the human condition, the more I appreciate the work Habitat is doing in New Haven and overseas. To have the security of shelter is a true necessity of living. As you can read, my time as Executive Director has guided my world view and kept me level headed despite any success I may now enjoy.

Congratulations on reaching the 25th Anniversary milestone.

Jose Luis

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sue siglerExecutive Director from 1999-2004

Greetings from California and congratulations to HfHGNH on 25 years! I am honored to have been associated with such a wonderful organization, and send so many best wishes to my friends and colleagues. I still think of you often with pride for the accomplishments we celebrated together during the five years I was with Habitat and with great appreciation for what you’ve gone on to achieve.

Congratulations especially to the evening’s honorees; it was my pleasure to work with each of them, and the recognition is so well-deserved. I am so pleased to know that you are still involved and continuing to make the dream of homeownership and a simple, decent place to live a reality for families in need. Thinking about my time at Habitat has been a delightful stroll down memory lane. While I know that the work was sometimes frustratingly slow, what I remember most are the accomplishments that took so much teamwork.Some of those include record numbers of houses completed in a year, helping our homeowners get out of early-built condos that seemed like a good idea at the time, expanding our neighborhood boundaries, merging with Wallingford at the request of HfHI, and finally, finally getting a new office and a warehouse. What I remember most, however, was the incredible amount of time, energy and love that is poured into Habitat and every house that is completed by so many people. I used to say that I had the best job in the world, because I got to attend dedication ceremonies and hand the keys over to new homeowners, almost always amid tears of joy.

Since leaving Habitat, I spent five years consulting with a variety of non-profits, both before and after my move to California in 2006. For the last three years, I’ve been leading the California Association of Food Banks, an incredible but very rewarding challenge, much like Habitat. Today, I can be found anywhere from the halls of government in Sacramento and Washington, DC advocating

for anti-hunger programs, to walking fields with farmers to secure fresh produce for food bank distribution. Oh, and on hiking trails in the beautiful Bay area all year-round. And while I’m still a Pepe’s girl and miss New Haven pizza, it’s a small trade off for no snow! Perhaps one of the most gratifying memories was looking at the website a few years ago and seeing photos from Rosette Street.

I always said that before my life was over, I would see those homes built. While I wasn’t able to accomplish that during my tenure, I’m so grateful to those who persevered, and I’m a lot more careful crossing the street these days. I regret that I cannot be with you personally for the celebration, but please know that I am there in spirit and cheering you on for the next 25 years.

Sue

In 1996 the Board of Directors changed house pricing for new Habitat homebuyers to a square footage formula instead of the full cost of building, in order to keep homes affordable for low-income families.

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Students doing demolition work

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L E t t E r F r O M

Bill caseyExecutive Director from 2004-present

Since first joining Habitat in 1995, I have had the opportunity to witness the many changes this affiliate has experienced as it has grown and matured into one of the most respected non profits in the region. While the accomplishments of this affiliate are too numerous to acknowledge, some are particularly noteworthy. The Eaton Row project saw the construction of three new fully ADA compliant homes for low income families with special needs. The rejuvenation of an entire block of Rosette Street by the construction of five contiguous homes, all built at the same time. In Wallingford, we were able to build two new beautiful single family homes on one half acre lots donated by the town. The start of our third home in the Town of Hamden demonstrates that they are loyal partners in our quest to provide affordable, high quality housing throughout New Haven County. The successful

rehabilitation of our office and warehouse space in 2004 has allowed us to transition from working from the back of pickup trucks to being a more professional housing developer. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the cooperation and support of the City of New Haven throughout our 25-year history has allowed us to construct quality homes at affordable prices for our families while making a significant contribution to the revitalization of New Haven’s neighborhoods.

While all the above are noteworthy, it remains the people associated with HFHGNH that we should be most proud of. Nothing speaks to the character of this organization more clearly than the caliber and dedication of those who have been the driving force behind our success. The Habitat model permits everyone to play a pivotal role in

accomplishing our mission. Our regular volunteers, community theme build members, donors, former and current staff and Board members and, most importantly, our homeowners have all performed magnificently. For that we will be forever grateful.

Bill Casey Executive Director “The Habitat for Humanity mission is a difficult one. It teaches us that when facing adversity, expect to be knocked down. It is the grace with which you rise up again that’s important.”


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In 1996, Sacred Heart Academy sisters donated a house located at 378 Crown Street, New Haven, in order to create a permanent Habitat office space. The organization remained based at this location until 2004, when the property at 37 Union Street, New Haven was purchased which created the current headquarters and warehouse space.

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37 Union StreetNew Haven

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Like all Habitat homeowners, Lavenita and Fred had to work on the building of their home, and they learned a lot of new things about construction. Lavenita cherished the idea that in a matter of a few short months her family would be walking across the floor that she was so carefully working on. Learning to construct a home, however, was only half of the Habitat experience. The other half included the Habitat

volunteers who came out each day to help with the building, including numerous groupsand individuals from Madison Cares, whosponsored the house and later presented housewarming gifts to the Smiths at the dedication. Recalling the many volunteers who came out to help, Lavenita’s eyes fill with tears. “It was really so wonderful to see people go out of their way to help people who are not as fortunate. The volunteers and the Habitat staff are wonderful people who will forever remain in our hearts.”

Once the complete gut rehab was completed, the Smiths moved into their new home in July 2010. They relished that they could rearrange their furniture anyway they wanted and paint using colors they preferred, something they could not do in their old apartment. Lavenita describes her new home as comfortable—it is a unique atmosphere that she and her husband created.

One of Lavenita’s favorite spots in her new home is the porch. Whether it’s sunny or cloudy, she and Fred can be found on their back porch, smiling with homeowners’ pride.

Purchasing 432 Huntington Street has not only changed the Smith’s mailing address but the way they look at their surrounding community. The Smith’s neighbors are like their family and as a result they take particularpride in their community. Owning a home has led to an expansion of space for the Smiths,Smiths, but also the creation of a new social network and reconnection with family.

Moving from a small apartment to a bigger space is exciting for anyone, and moving from a rented apartment to one’s own home is a life changing experience. Fred and Lavenita Smith had been renters for two decades, and Lavenita had never expected that she would someday own a home.

They longed for a place with a backyard where their grandchildren could play. When the couple learned about Habitat’s program for first-time homebuyers, they decided the dream of homeownership was within their reach. When they attended the homebuyer’s orientation session, the first requirement for applying, they discovered that Habitat was rehabbing a house at 432 Huntington Street in Newhallville, an area of New Haven they not only knew well but where several of their relatives still lived. The house, which had been lain vacant for years and needed to be completely gutted and rebuilt, did not look very promising at first, but it did have one major attraction—a large, private backyard.

F a M I L y s t O r I E s

Lavenita andFred smith

“It was really so wonderful to see people go out of their way to help people who are not as fortunate.”

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155 Cedar StreetTrowbridge SquareDiaz Home

tExt Page 9 FaMILy stOrIEs

Pam Jeffries, owner of a Habitat home on Frances Hunter Drive, is a remarkable and energetic woman who centers her life around her daughter Ashley, 18, who is confined to a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy.

In 2000, Pam’s husband Kenny passed away. Without his help, Pam had to lift and carry Ashley down and up stairs every time they left and returned home because there was no ramp at their apartment building. Pam says, “Between school and activities like Girl Scouts, it was at least four trips up and down those ten stairs each day carrying my daughter.” Because Ashley’s power wheelchair, which provides her with the most independence possible, wouldn’t fit through the doorways at home, it was left at school full time. Only after Pam and Ashley moved into their Habitat house six years ago, was Ashley able to bring her power chair home and enjoy a more independent life.

Their home on Frances Hunter Drive in New Haven, is part of a new neighborhood located off Dixwell Avenue. Habitat built three homes there for families who needed ADA accessible floor plans and accommodations. Ashley was twelve when they moved in, and she and her mother were overjoyed at the prospect of having a home with a ramp entrance, a bedroom for Ashley on the first floor, a fully equipped bathroom, and doorways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. “I can go outside on my own because of the ramp, and I can get around the house,” Ashley says. Her favorite part of the house is her bedroom, which provides her with a space of her own.

When Habitat visited recently, they were getting ready to repaint the interior, and Ashley was considering shades of pink. Asked what her favorite part of the house is, Pam had a hard time deciding what aspect she loves most. She regularly holds cookouts in the backyard with family and friends; she loves her kitchen; and she truly loves her front porch. There is no doubt that the home has profoundly changed her and her daughter’s lives for the better.

Pam vividly remembers helping to build her home over several months. She recalls working alongside community volunteers and Habitat’s construction staff. “All my life I wanted my own home, and all these people helped me build one! It was hard and sometimes very cold, but it was so much fun and I love them all!”

In 2001, the Board of Directors authorized the organization to build its first Habitat home outside of the City of New Haven and a partnership was forged with the Town of Hamden. The first home built in Hamden is located at the corner of Goodrich Street and Shelton Avenue and is the home of the Fraser family.

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Fraser Home 453 SheltonBefore and after


Pam Jeffries

“All my life I wanted my own home, and all these people helped me build one! It was hard and sometimes very cold, but it was so much fun and I love them all!”


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Kids should have the opportunity to play outside and have space to let their imaginations run wild. Pedro Castro’s three children, however, did not have that opportunity until they moved into their Habitat home at 23 Wilson Street in June 2009. Previously Pedro, his wife Ginette, and their three children Kereyn Ann, 12; Pedro Jr., 10; and Joshue, 5, had lived in a small apartment in a project in New Haven known as the “jungle” because of its violence and crime.

The family could not hang up any family photographs or paint any of the rooms. Five people shared one bathroom, which was a challenge. The children did not have a safe outdoor playspace. Pedro Jr. said, “I was scared to play outside because of the gun shots I sometimes heard.” The children did not have their own bedrooms, and they could not make noise for fear of being reprimanded by other tenants.

All this changed for the Castro family when they moved into their new home on Wilson Street, which was sponsored by Madison Cares. Like all Habitat homeowners, Pedro and Ginette had to contribute many hours of sweat equity in the construction of their home. Ginette loved the building process because she was used to working around construction. However, Pedro had never seen a house being built and had never done any sort of construction. The family enjoyed the experience because they could see their house being built literally from the ground up. “What you work for, you learn to appreciate,” said Pedro.

The family was overjoyed to move into their new home, and two years later, they are still amazed by the house. Their children have ample space to play outside; Pedro Jr. even helps to mow the lawn. They have a basement where Kereyn Ann loves playing teacher, and Pedro Jr. can play his drums as

loud as he wants. Ginette, who has a fantastic color sense, is transforming the rooms one by one. The kitchen is now a beautiful pumpkin orange; the living room a soft mustard. The boys’ room is deep blue,

and Kereyn Ann’s is deep violet and lavender. “Being a homeowner is a lot more work,” said Pedro Sr., “but the place is ours. We don’t need permission for anything!” For Pedro his favorite part of the house is not his big bedroom, living room or even backyard but the fact that they have two bathrooms. Ginette is always busy around the house and jokes that she dedicates a day of cleaning to each floor.

When asked what she thought of Habitat, Ginette said, “I feel so blessed—like a miracle was bestowed upon us. God gave Habitat to us so we could have a home.”

Knowing there are many other families in need, Ginette said that she prays each day for Habitat to receive more donations so they can continue to build homes.

In 1999 the affiliate began trying to acquire properties for the “Hill Cluster” on Rosette Street, New Haven. All properties covering a single city block were finally acquired in between 2006-2007 after seven years of effort. One of the homes built on Rosette Street was the organization’s 50th.

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Castellano Home at 104 Rossette Street


Pedro and Ginette castro

“I feel so blessed— like a miracle was bestowed upon us. God gave Habitat to us so we could have a home.”

All USA Habitat affiliates are expected to tithe. They are asked to give 10% of their undesignated contributions to Habitat International for use in the neediest countries in the world. In 1987, New Haven Habitat sent its first tithe, totaling $360, to be used in Uganda. Twenty-five years later, we’ve contributed $200,465, helping more than 65 families, mostly in Botswana.

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Working on porch roof at 223 Henry


George Long III and Tanya Smith are a perfect example that opposites attract. George is a quiet, steady man, who works in construction; Tanya is the outgoing, talkative, “get it done” type.

Before George and Tanya bought their Habitat home at 300 Newhall Street, Tanya lived in an apartment in New Haven with her two children. Although the apartment was decent sized, Tanya felt that she did not have control of her space. Her privacy was limited and she had to constantly worry about loud music coming through the apartment walls. Now that she and George have moved into their new home, she can’t stop smiling.

As with all Habitat homeowners, George and Tanya had to help with the building of their home, which in their case was no mean feat. 300 Newhall Street was a complete gut rehab—a derelict property that had remained vacant for many years. The couple toiled for months with other Habitat volunteers removing debris, pulling up old floors, tearing down plaster walls and more, until the house was stripped down to its bones and ready to be completely rebuilt.

Understandably, Tanya, her children and her husband take immense pride in the final result—a beautifully restored home that is energy-efficient and an attractive asset to the neighborhood. She loves her home and especially her kitchen, which she designed herself. For Tanya owning a home has boosted her self-esteem, and she hopes to set a positive example for her children.

Being involved in the community has always been a passion of Tanya’s. As a three-term co-chair of the Democratic Town Committee, Ward 3 (Hill North), Tanya worked on organizing numerous events and fundraisers. When the

family moved to 300 Newhall Street, Tanya became the co-chair for Ward 20 (Newhallville), continuing her commitment to improving conditions in New Haven neighborhoods. When she and George were granted a home from Habitat, it seemed only fitting that the


George Long III and tanya smith

Tanya describes working on her house as a “profound and educational experience”. woman who had given so much would finally be given something in return. Tanya describes working on her house as a “profound and educational experience”. She was deeply moved by the many people who came out to help, and she was touched by the hard work of the volunteers. Tanya participated in the recent one-day Habitat/Lowe’s Women Build and worked on the house of fellow Habitat homebuyer Shanna Green. She plans to continue to volunteer with Habitat in the future as a way of giving back to the New Haven community that she is so committed to.


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155 Cedar StreetTrowbridge SquareDiaz Home


Imagine living across the street from a local county jail and not knowing whether alarms being sounded signaled a drill or a real emergency. This fear is what Harriet Banks dealt with when she moved into her apartment on County Street in New Haven. She vividly remembers making her kids come inside and hurrying them into the apartment for fear that a prisoner had escaped. Harriet’s small apartment across from the jail barely accommodated her two young daughters, plus five nieces and nephews she had accepted legal guardianship of.

Locating, much less affording, a home large enough for her family, was out of the question for Harriet. Working as a Medical Assistant at St. Raphael’s, and with her newly expanded family, Harriet wanted to stay in the city. In 1998, after watching a television news program, Harriet learned about Habitat’s housing program and shortly after she applied.As the Board of Directors reviewed her file, they were concerned about accommodating her large family size. In 2001, the organization finally acquired a large, historic Victorian home on Butler Street in Newhallville. The home was a total wreck after being open to the elements for years. It was a corner home with a notorious history of being an eyesore and a “problem” house in the neighborhood. Despite the intimidating nature of the situation, Harriet was absolutely thrilled with her future home and never voiced doubt through the long rehab process.

Harriet remembers encouragement and support from staff and volunteers. She has a soft spot for Bill Casey (Construction Manager at the

time). She remembers him fondly as “Sarge”, because of his critical eye and his insistence that everything be done correctly. When asked how she feels about the volunteers it is clear that Harriet appreciates them deeply. “Thanks to you, I have the opportunity to have my own home, and it would not have been possible without you. All the Saturdays you gave up, the dirty faces and boots after a hard day are all appreciated, and it touches me that people who did not know me or my family got out of their beds to help.”

Today Harriet loves her home even more than the day she moved in. All the holidays are held at her house and these are the memories that stand out the most in her mind. There are enough rooms to accommodate her family. Her porch, which allows her to sit outside and enjoy her garden, is one of her favorite spots. Inside, the walls are filled with photographs of her family. It is a place where Harriet can relax after a hard day of work at St Raphael’s and the VA Hospital. It is Harriet’s first, and she hopes, her forever home. She sends her thanks to everyone involved with the project. “Building my home with all of you was best experience of my life.”


Harriet Banks

“All the Saturdays you gave up, the dirty faces and boots after a hard day are all appreciated and it touches me that people who did not know me or my family got out of their beds to help.”

98 Butler before rehab

98 Butler after rehab

In 2009, with the building of Habitat homes located at 15 & 23 Wilson Street, the organization formally committed itself to sustainable building materials and techniques.

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23 Wilson Street

“My home; I own it. It belongs to me.” These are the proud thoughts of every new homeowner. Luisa felt that way when she moved into her home on Liberty Street eight years ago, five days before Christmas. She said she had never felt like a lucky person until that moment. She and her children and other family members celebrated Christmas that first year in the home that she had built alongside Habitat’s construction staff and volunteers. Aside from the birth of her three children, she said, it was the most memorable and important thing to ever happen to her.

Previously, Luisa had been living in a small rented apartment with her family. She had never owned a home and never thought she would be able to save enough for a large

down payment. Within weeks of applying to Habitat’s Homeownership Program, she was accepted. The home she chose was an existing historic house circa 1900 located on Liberty Street, in the Trowbridge Square section of the Hill Neighborhood. The home was in terrible condition and had to be stripped down to its studs, but a few wonderful historic details, like the beautiful mahogany staircase, were able to be saved.

Luisa was involved with every step of the building process and her oldest son, Pedro, faithfully volunteered all summer and most school year Saturdays. Lusia had two big “wants” for her home: a front porch and she had always imaged living in a yellow house. Happily, her house ended up with both. She

loved getting to know the volunteers and working side by side with them. “Seeing how happy all the volunteers were for me on Dedication Day made me feel so grateful. This house was built by people I didn’t know in the beginning, but we were all friends by the end.”

Living in their own home has changed Luisa and her children’s lives. She is particularly happy that homeownership is now a goal for her children. She is proud that her daughter, Yahaira, who was 17 when she moved into the home on Liberty Street, now owns a home of her own at the age of 24. As the years have passed Luisa has not changed much about the home besides the interior paint color. Her home is the center for family holidays and gatherings. Luisa plans to keep the house in the family and pass it on to her children.

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Luisa Berrios

Luisa’s finished home at 59 Liberty Street

Luisa and her oldest son volunteering

Rehab in progress

“This house was built by people I didn’t know in the beginning, but we were all friends by the end.”


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The staff member who has been with the organization the longest is Bill Casey. Hired in 1995 as the Construction Manager, he later became the Executive Director in 2004.

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Patty Walters bubbles over with enthusiasm when she talks about her journey from living in a public housing complex as a child to becoming a Habitat homeowner. She is a staunch believer in the benefits of Habitat and has actively shared her experience with families curious about the program. Her advice is, “If your credit is up to par or close, go for it. If you have a family, you need to apply. You can’t beat a zero percent interest mortgage!”

Patty learned about Habitat from a family friend who owned a Habitat house. She was immediately intrigued by the affordability of Habitat’s 25-year, zero percent interest mortgage, and she recalls that she had no reservations about applying to the program. The prospect of buying her own home was an incentive to clean up her credit. “I was ready,” she said, “and the application process was easy.” Patty remembers being interviewed by the family selection committee and being paired up with a Habitat family partner who would mentor her through the entire home buying process.

The application process at the time was somewhat different than what it is now. “There was a waiting list,” Patty remembers, “and people had to wait a long time to get a house.” Applicants were instructed to look at different Habitat houses underway. Patty looked at houses in several neighborhoods, but nothing clicked. Then she heard about the Hallock Street site. She visited the area at different times of the day and found it to be quiet and family-oriented with a lot of children. She knew she had found her street.

Patty quickly did the first 200 of the required 400 sweat equity hours during the summer of 2004, working one day a week away from her full-time job at the Yale College Dean’s Office at Yale University, where she has worked for almost 14 years. Her son Scott London, now 19 and a full-time student at Gateway, and Patty’s co-workers at Yale University helped her with some of the sweat equity. In addition, then-Dean Richard Brodhead (now president of Duke University) and his wife Cynthia held a fundraiser at their home. Fellow employees, friends and family donated more than $3,000 to Habitat for the purchase of construction tools.


Patty Walters

Patty Walters and son Scott London

Patty still glows when showing off her kitchen with its sleek, glossy red Ikea cabinets, which are her pride and joy. She is also exuberant in her praise of her neighbors. “They are fantastic!” she says, “We all look out for each other. I feel very comfortable here. It’s a very stable neighborhood.”

Patty has remained an ardent advocate for Habitat’s homebuyer program. She faithfully attends Habitat groundbreakings, dedications, parties and other special events. “I believe in personally giving back,” she explains, “because I never thought I would have my own home. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that I have this. It’s mine. I helped build it.”

“I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that I have this. It’s mine. I helped build it.”

Longest Serving Board Member – First Place, two way tie between: Lorraine Martin, twelve years (four terms) Debra Watson, twelve years (four terms) In Second Place: Duo Dickinson, eleven years (three terms and two years of fourth term)

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When Shanna Green thinks about living in her future home at 12 Elliot Street, the image that most often comes to mind is sitting at the dining room table eating a meal with her children. Where we are now is crowded,” she says. “Just to be able to say a grace and eat together will be wonderful.”

Shanna feels very blessed and fortunate to have been assigned to this particular house, which is being sponsored by Madison Cares. When she first looked into buying a home she could afford, she was referred to Habitat, but she didn’t know much about the homebuyers’ program. She wasn’t sure she liked the area for which they were taking applications at the time. She applied but then withdrew her application—and kept calling to see if there were other possibilities. Just as she began to feel discouraged, she was offered a house on Elliot Street She was “very happy and excited” about the street, but the house wasn’t #12. Once Shanna had seen #12, with its large shaded yard, she knew that was the one she really wanted. She learned that it had already been assigned to another family. But she didn’t give up. Eventually she was told #12 was, in fact, available. “I really believe there is a higher power looking out for me,” she says.

How has the building process been? “Very educational! I learn a lot and enjoy doing it. I had to do 14 hours of work for the application process—after that I kept going because I met very interesting people and liked the work. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my kids will volunteer for Habitat when they’re older.” She says that Rahim, 11, and Aida, 12, both students at the Amistad Academy in New Haven, will help her with planting and landscaping once they’ve moved in.

How are her children feeling about this whole project? “Oh my gosh—very, very excited. They now share the same room—my daughter especially can’t wait to have her own room. They’ve gone to other dedications and seen what it will be like. They’re so, so happy.” (And, says Shanna, she looks forward to being able to say, “Go to your rooms!”)

Shanna works at Regency House in Wallingford, a rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility. She is also pursuing a nursing degree at Gateway Community College. She hopes to complete it in two more years. “I’m very busy, and to be honest I have to take vacation days to do my Habitat work. Usually, I take a Thursday off and also work at Habitat on Saturday.” In the mornings of her days off she often attends nursing classes. “It’s been a struggle, but I won’t give up.”

Shanna says that 12 Elliot Street represents HOME. “I will have more stability. It’s my dream home—mine and my children’s. After I move in I will continue to volunteer—I realize some families can’t work all the hours they’re supposed to, and I could work for them. I really thank Madison Cares from the bottom of my heart.”

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shanna Green

“I will have more stability. It’s my dream home—mine and my children’s. I really thank Madison Cares from the bottom of my heart.”


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Presently, eighty-two homes have been built and families served in New Haven, Wallingford and Hamden. Each and every home was built with the labor of Habitat’s small construction staff, future homeowners completing their Sweat Equity, and hundreds of volunteers from the community. 100% of the funding for each home comes from local sponsors. Each home built is a collaborative, community effort.

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Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven relies on the generosity of its many volunteers and donors to carry out the mission. On the occasion of Habitat’s 25th Anniversary, we would like to acknowledge a few of the people and institutions who have made an extraordinary impact on our community through their partnership with Habitat.

At the 25th Anniversary Gala on June 10th, awards of distinction will be given to:

Duo Dickinson, Duo Dickinson, architect

Debra Watson, First Niagara Bank

Thomas DiBlasi, DiBlasi Associates, PC

Lorraine Martin, Lorraine A. Martin, CPA

Robert Lyons, Jr & The Bilco Company

Peter Berdon, Esq.

NewAlliance Foundation and NewAlliance Bank

Madison Cares

Don Deloge

One-of-a-Kind Foundation and M&LF Giving Back Foundation

Yale-New Haven Hospital & its Medical Staff

Sleeping Giant Build

Turner Construction

Rosemarie Paine, Esq.

Frank Cochran, Esq.

Cathie Miller

Alderman Jorge Perez

Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Our administrative volunteer team: Judy Bodner, M.E. Solomon, Claire Hanson & Liz Tiano

Len Suzio & Suzio York Hill

Michael Maguire

Lindalea P. Ludwick Family Foundation

Annie E. Casey Foundation

The Staff, Board of Directors and Clients of Youth Continuum

West Haven Lumber

Harry O’Connell

The Rev. Eric Fjeldal

Dick & Nancy Beals

Richard Mapes

We also wish to acknowledge twenty-five individuals, organizations, and institutions for their extremely generous contributions of monetary support, in-kind donations and volunteer time since the organization was

founded in 1986

25TH ANNIvERSARY GALA, PRESENTED BY

Back cOvEr

H a b i t a t f o r H u m a n i t y o f G r e a t e r N e w H a v e n • 37 U n i o n S t r e e t • N e w H a v e n , C T 0 6 511 • ( 20 3 ) 78 5 - 079 4

Habitat New Haven Annual Report 2011

Documents

Transcript of Habitat New Haven Annual Report 2011