Views from the Porch November 2023 News |
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Julius buys his new home! Please join us in congratulating Julius and his family on becoming homeowners and making one of their life's dreams come true! Yesterday, Julius was all smiles as he signed on the many dotted lines during his closing on his home in Salisbury. He exclaimed "Owning a house is a dream in my life that I did not know would be fulfilled!" |
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A single father of two teenagers, Julius explains that his last name means Blessed and he truly feels that everything that has come to him has been a blessing. He came to this county three and a half years ago because he won his green card through a lottery. When he learned that he was accepted into the Homeownership program, another blessing, he was in disbelief. A very hard worker, Julius immediately got to work on his sweat equity hours. Even though he was studying to get into a nursing program, taking care of his family, and holding down two jobs, he completed hours in record time! He loved learning new skills and meeting great people at the build sites. He is now enrolled in that nursing program but says when he's earned his degree he's going to volunteer with us again. He knows his life is improving because of other good people. For that he is very thankful, and he wants to share that with others. To Julius, home means responsibility. But it also means dignity and respect as well as permanence, adding "My children will live in their own house - a permanent place where they will stay." He's looking forward to the privacy, his own parking, and making it pretty to help improve his new community. Now that this goal has been accomplished his main focus will be supporting his children; teaching them to be good citizens and value added people, to focus on what is important and to know the value of life. "I am full of hope because of Habitat," he beamed. "I'm very happy and very excited. Thank you!" |
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The median single-family home price hit a record high of $910,000 this year in Greater Boston, an area roughly inside Interstate 495. To afford that, a household would need an annual income of at least $300,000. (Lana Turner/Globe Staff) |
| Greater Boston has a housing crisis, but doesn't act like it. The Boston Globe Spotlight Team is sharing its findings from a year of studying the roots of one of the most intractable problems facing our state - an acute and damaging housing shortage. |
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"This is a story of Boston's pricey suburbs, cocooned by restrictive single-family zoning rules that make apartment and condo projects so hard to permit that they are rarely built. It is the story of a town, and region, that has for half a century doubled down on the status quo, or made zoning even more restrictive, all but guaranteeing that single-family home prices - rising more steeply here than in any other state since 1980 - will remain shockingly high. The fallout from these outrageous home prices is a sort of economic climate change, steadily making much of the region uninhabitable for those of modest incomes. Expensive housing acts as a golden gate, and there is a price to be paid for living in a gated community. This is the price: Across this region, the dream of suburban life is largely foreclosed by lack of affordable options to the children of those who live in the suburbs now, to the town employees who keep municipalities humming, to newcomers who might bring new energies to town - and added diversity of class and race." Read the full story at: Boston Globe Spotlight - Beyond the Guilded Gate |
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Thank you for your support Many thanks to everyone who supported us on a build site or at the ReStore this past month! Below are just a few of those who did. |
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We'd also like to recognize the following organization that offered its support: |
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| Thanks to long time supporter and volunteer Tom Baird, who nominated us, we were awarded a $10,000 grant from Analog Devices Foundation! |
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You too can build affordable houses - made out of gingerbread! Gather a team of four friends, club members, workmates, or any other group to show off your own building talents in this Gingerbread House contest, hosted by Danvers Community Access TV (DCAT)! The rules are simple - you must use the 6 gingerbread pieces supplied. Then add your own decorations, additions, and flair to your hearts content. Join us on Saturday, December 9 at the Maple Street Congregational Church where you will build your house. Check in begins at 1pm and you will have from 1:30pm - 4:00pm to build your architectural masterpiece. Onsite judging will take place after 3:00pm followed by an award ceremony. Register your team of four for $100 today! Proceeds from the contest will help us build more (real) affordable houses. |
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Take a tour of the Hamilton Build Site! |
Thank you to volunteer photographer Fil Nenna for visiting with us in Hamilton and creating this delightful video! |
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Celebrate our 10 year anniversary at our Cheers to 10 Years Sale! In honor of our 10th year at 647 Andover Street in Lawrence, the ReStore will be marking down everything* up to 75% off! That's up to 75% off our already low prices on new and gently used furniture, appliances, building materials and housewares. So join us for on Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18, from 10am - 5pm. We know you'll be happy you stopped by! |
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647 Andover Street, Lawrence | 978-686-3323 | open Tues - Sat, 10am - 5pm ecrestore.org |
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