Ottawa REALTORS® Don’t Just Sell Homes, They Help Build Them
September 30, 2018
On September 13, 2018, the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s (OREB) REALTORS Care® Committee, President, Past President, Directors, Members, and Board staff participated in a Habitat for Humanity build on behalf of the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation.
“It was very fulfilling to be able to contribute to a family’s journey towards homeownership in this way,” states Ralph Shaw, President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. “The sheer amount of time, hard work and energy that is required to build a house from the ground up was an eye-opening experience. I have profound appreciation and respect for the great work that Habitat for Humanity GO provides our local community.”
REALTORS Care® Committee Chair, Deborah Burgoyne adds, “OREB’s Members are very concerned about the housing needs of our community, and we feel that everyone deserves a safe, decent, and affordable home. We are pleased to be able to play a role in ensuring that happens – one family at a time.”
As part of a commitment to improving the community we live in, the Board’s REALTORS Care® Committee has participated in a Habitat build day every year using funds donated from the previous year. This is the sixth year in a row that REALTORS® and staff have participated in a build. This year, they helped to install windows, drywall, and ductwork as well as tuck taping Tyvek.
Leacross Landing is Habitat for Humanity GO’s (Greater Ottawa) largest project to date and will eventually consist of 16 townhomes at the corner of Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. and Fortune Dr. in Orleans. Four townhomes were completed in 2017 with four families already in residence. Phase Two broke ground in June 2018 with an expected completion of four more townhomes by December 2018.
Since 1993, Habitat GO has partnered with 76 families in the Greater Ottawa area. Together, they are committed to giving families a hand up, not a handout. Future homeowners build their homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.
