PRESS RELEASE – January 2024
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact: Colin Penney, phone: 401-213-6711 x304
South County Habitat for Humanity hosted a home dedication ceremony for three homes built in partnership with Chariho Career and Technical Center
Hopkinton, RI - On Wednesday, January 24th, South County Habitat for Humanity (SCHH) joined more than 200 supporters to celebrate the completion of three net-zero energy rated homes in Hopkinton, RI, and the families that will soon take residence. These affordable homeownership units were built in partnership with Chariho Career and Technical Center, with students, almost exclusively, building one of the units.
“This is the best project that I’ve seen from a career and tech program in the twelve years I’ve been an instructor for career and technical education”, said Gerry Auth, Director of CHARIHOtech. “This is why I’m involved in education, to see the impact we can have on the community.”
Since 1990, SCHH has served 123 families through affordable homeownership programs. These homes are the 59th, 60th, and 61st homes built by SCHH, and the first in SCHH’s 34 year history to achieve net-zero energy efficiency, a major achievement for the organization.
“This has been amazing, it has taught me all of the patience and skills I’ve developed after coming out week after week. It’s been life changing, and I don’t feel like I’m the same person that I was when I started. We are very excited and so thankful to Habitat for this opportunity, I feel like it has transformed me into someone who can actually own a house and know how to care for it,” remarked one of the future homeowners.
Hannah Moore, Assistant Secretary of Housing, emphasized the current housing crisis in Rhode Island, “we are producing half to a third of the units we need in this state just to keep things as they are, not to make them better, just to keep going. We’ve got to keep making these investments because these projects just don't happen without incredible villages of partners like Habitat.”
According to the 2023 Housing Factbook produced by HousingWorksRI, 75% of those in Southern Rhode Island cannot afford the median home price of $505,000. SCHH is actively expanding capacity to help combat the housing crisis.
“On behalf of the Biden-Harris administration and USDA Rural Development Southern New England, I extend our congratulations to the families for their work to establish generational wealth through homeownership,” said Scott J. Soares, Director USDA RD Southern New England, “I also extend our deepest gratitude to South County Habitat for Humanity for their partnership and work with the families, students from Chariho Tech.”
Partners for this project include: RI Housing, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Wilcox Excavation and Development LLC (WeDig), Bank of America, Henderson Roofing, CLEAResult, USDA Rural Development, the Ninigret Quilters, the GFWC Women’s Club of South County, and many more.
SCHH’s next project is already underway, building four more homes next door. Learn how to get involved with SCHH or about homeownership programs at www.southcountyhabitat.org
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