Habitat Nears Groundbreaking for 18 New Pigtown Homes

Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake will host a groundbreaking in the upcoming weeks for an 18-home development on the 1200 block of Ward St. in Pigtown. Habitat Chesapeake has renovated many rowhomes in the area but this will be the first brand new construction project in the South Baltimore neighborhood.

The project will consist of two rows of nine townhomes that will be separated by a small green area.  Most of the homes will have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and approximately 1200-1300 square feet.  However, the homes can be converted to have four bedrooms and three bathrooms if one of the future homeowners has a need for the extra rooms.  Two of the homes will also be in accordance with American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

All of the homes will be Energy Star rated to help save the homeowners in utility costs and each home will feature a one-car parking pad made of permeable pavers, which are good for water runoff.

All of the future homeowners will receive a zero interest, 30-year mortgage that will either be financed through Habitat Chesapeake or a bank.  In order to qualify, applicants must make between 24-60% of the median income of the area.

“Homeownership is great for the stability of children.  Many studies have shown that children are healthier, safer and more likely to graduate high school and move on to college when they grow up in a stable environment and aren’t moving around all the time,” said Habitat Chesapeake CEO Mike Posko.

As each Habitat Chesapeake home is sold for less money than the construction cost, Habitat Chesapeake relies on local partnerships, including the Weinberg Foundation and the Baltimore Ravens, as well as the income from their Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which has four area locations.  ReStore sells home improvement goods to consumers – 80% of the stores’ products are donated by local residents and contractors and 20% is purchased new.  Their local stores keep 2.8 million pounds of product a year out of area landfills and save consumers $1.6 million annually.

Habitat Chesapeake also relies on discounts and volunteers.  Superintendents are present on each project as well as Americorps members who work to train their volunteers.  All trade labor is done by professional contractors, but most labor-intensive work like framing, flooring, yard work, painting and more is done by volunteers.  They also receive large discounts from Valspar Paint and Whirlpool appliances.  Parks and People is also a large help for landscaping needs and Habitat Chesapeake has partnered with Paul’s Place for their work in Pigtown.

Habitat Chesapeake has done many individual homes and rehabs in the past but is now focused on larger projects. “We are looking for areas of blight in the city.  We don’t look to do just one home in a neighborhood, we look to help change a neighborhood,” Posko told SouthBMore.com.

For more information on applying for one of the Habitat Chesapeake homes, visit HabitatChesapeake.org.

Rendering of the Homes

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.