Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area to embark on their biggest build yet

Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area is accepting expressions of interest from prospective habitat homeowners for what will be the charity's largest local build to-date.

This comes as habitat continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the agency is counting on the generosity of its donors to complete this upcoming build.

The property is located on Goulais Avenue and was donated by Soo Mill Buildall.

"There's five units in a row, in a townhouse complex. The unit sizes range from two-bedrooms to five-bedrooms and the basements are proposed developments,” said Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area’s executive director, Katie Blunt.

“They would only be finished if the family requires that extra space."

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Eligible homeowners might be dealing with poorly maintained or overcrowded housing, unaffordable rent or inaccessible housing. To be considered, potential habitat homeowners must be willing to volunteer a minimum of 500 hours with the charity and be able to make affordable mortgage payments.

"Expressions of interest are available here at the ReStore and online, and they're open until March 30, at which point we'll review the expressions,” said Blunt.

“We (then) move to the next stage, which is an internal application."

Given the size of the project, officials with the charity’s fundraising team said they are hoping the public will come through with donations.

"We have a very loyal roster of build-gift-in-kind sponsors and monetary sponsors,” said habitat’s Sault-area fundraising and marketing coordinator Chelsey Foucher.

“But – this being our biggest project yet, we're definitely looking for more support from the community."

Foucher told CTV News the pandemic made for some lean years for charities that depend on fundraising, however habitat continued to thrive.

"We've remained pretty strong throughout,” said Foucher.

“The community has been really supportive of us through all of our ReStore closures as well as attending our in-person fundraisers once we were allowed to do so again."

Lot clearing and site plan development for the five-plex on Goulais Avenue is expected to being later this year. Habitat is hoping to break ground next Spring and have the homes finished by the end of next year.

To stay up-to-date about Sault-area Habitat for Humanity projects, follow them on Twitter.