Ottawa REALTORS® help build the foundation for Habitat home
October 28, 2016
On October 19th, the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s (OREB) REALTORS Care® Committee, President, President-Elect, and Board staff participated in a Habitat for Humanity build on behalf of the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation.
This year, Habitat for Humanity GO (Greater Ottawa) is building a single-family home in Carleton Place, in partnership with their new Carleton Place Chapter. The two-storey home, which will be completed in the late fall, will be purchased with an interest-free, long-term mortgage by the Michaelis family, a local hard-working, low-income family.
As part of a commitment to improving the community we live in, the Board’s REALTORS Care® Committee has opted to participate in a Habitat build day each year, using the funds donated from the previous year. This is the fourth year in a row that REALTORS® and staff have participated in a build. This year, they helped to build up the remaining foundation walls by using blue blocks called ICFs (or Insulated Concrete Forms) and rebar, framed basement windows, and filled in foundation cracks with expanding foam in preparation for concrete pouring.
“This is the second Habitat build I have participated in with OREB, and it’s a great feeling to help make a difference in the life of a local family,” says Shane Silva, President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. “Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board are concerned about the housing needs of everyone, so we are very pleased to be able to help out with this worthy cause.”
Since 1993, Habitat GO has built 52 homes in the Greater Ottawa area, completed nine renovations, and housed more than 60 families. Together, they are committed to giving families a hand up, not a hand out.
