By ROD KING

For the Northwest News

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne began its 2023-24 build season April 19 on Smith Street in southeast Fort Wayne.

CEO Jeremy McClish announced plans for a 20-home year, the most ever to be built in a season by the organization.

He pointed out that Habitat over the years has increased the number of homes built from seven a year to this year’s new peak. He added that in this immediate three-block area of the Renaissance Pointe neighborhood, 16 homes will be built in the next few years.

“The significant growth we’ve experienced,” said McClish, “the last few years has allowed us to walk alongside more hard-working Habitat partner families on their journey towards homeownership and created more opportunities for community collaboration. We’ll soon be reaching our 300th home.”

Habitat crew members and volunteers from sponsor Brotherhood Mutual stood by ready to begin nailing studs together in preparation for raising the walls on the first of three similar-size homes next-door to one another.

The initial structure at 2425 Smith St. will be occupied by Ranesha Giddens and her three young children later this year. She has completed her sweat equity requirements working on other Habitat homes, and is looking forward to painting and decorating her new home.

Her neighbor will be her friend Myka Blunt and her family. They are both excited about being neighbors. Her home will be started in the next few weeks and she has just 20 hours of sweat equity remaining. Both homes are a single-floor design with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a total of 1,412 square feet.

This year’s Habitat build season is made possible in part by Brotherhood Mutual, BF Goodrich and the City of Fort Wayne. In March, 40 residential lots were transferred from the City to Habitat GFW for future construction of 32 new market-rate homes in the Renaissance Pointe neighborhood. Of the 20 homes scheduled to be built this season, 16 are in this neighborhood.

Habitat GFW, which serves Allen, Huntington and Wells counties, has provided 275 families an opportunity to build wealth through affordable homeownership in the region since 1986.