Habitat for Humanity nears completion of new affordable housing units

The work never stops at Habitat for Humanity when it comes to building affordable homes for families in Waterloo region.

The charitable organization is wrapping up construction on a 45-unit complex in south Kitchener, having already constructed more than 140 homes for 650 people in the community.

“The thing that makes the habitat purchase special is the mortgage. So families get an affordable mortgage of 30 percent of their income. So if they lose a job or they get less hours at work, their payment goes down,” Philip Mills, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Waterloo region said.

Of the homes built, 39 are on Kehl Street in Kitchener and another six are on the way.

To cut costs, the organization relies heavily on hundreds of volunteers donating thousands of hours of their time.

“Without them coming in and giving up their time and energy our costs go up, and we build slower because we have less people,” Mills said.

No matter the challenge, the work gets done thanks to people like James Bowman, who’s volunteered at Habitat for Humanity for nearly two decades.

“That’s the fun part about habitat, it’s that every day something is different. I’ve helped with over 100 houses and over 100 families,” Bowman said.

Officials said the final six units will be completed with families moved in by the fall.

After that, construction will begin on a 24-unit complex on Shantz Hill Road in Cambridge.

“You see all these houses that you worked on and you have in the back of your mind that you did do something good in life,” Bowman said.