Builders Blitz for Sussex Habitat for Humanity kicks off

D.R. Horton Inc. with more than 30 local professional contractors and suppliers, will build an entire Habitat home in one week. This house in Ellendale is the Sussex County Habitat for Humanity Home Builders Blitz. Construction will begin Monday, Oct. 21, and the home will be dedicated Friday, Oct. 25. 

Nationally, during the 2019 Habitat Home Builders Blitz, builders donate their time, skills, materials and funds to build hundreds of affordable homes across the country with Habitat for Humanity local affiliates.

This is not the first Home Builders Blitz for Brian McManus, director of construction at D.R. Horton. McManus has led five Habitat Blitz Builds, including two in Sussex County.  “I love how everyone works together and is interested in partnering with such a great cause as Sussex Habitat for Humanity,’ says McManus. “And I love seeing the homeowners’ reaction as they see their dream home come to life.”

“The builders in this area are highly attuned and aware of the affordable housing challenges facing our community,” said Kevin Gilmore, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity executive director. “They’re looking for a meaningful way to address these issues; Home Builders Blitz gives them that opportunity.”

Across the U.S., affordable homes have become increasingly difficult to find for moderate and low-income families. In Sussex County, roughly one in seven residents spend more than half their income on housing, forcing them to choose between a safe place to live and other necessities like food and healthcare. 

At the same time, with the rising cost and scarcity of available land, skilled labor shortages, and restrictive building laws and regulations, affordable homes in Sussex County have also become more expensive for builders to produce.

The Habitat Home Builders Blitz is supported nationally by Kohler, gold sponsor; DuPont; Ply Gem Residential Solutions - a division of Cornerstone Building Brands; Tarkett; the Elizabeth Anton Memorial Fund; Huber Engineered Woods; Martin Marietta; Masco Corporation; 84 Lumber; GAF; Hanley Wood; and Petro Home Services.

Sussex County Habitat for Humanity is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope. Sussex County Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. 

Habitat for Humanity was founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all. For more information or to donate, go to www.SussexCountyHabitat.org.