West Volusia Habitat for Humanity has recently completed building their 101st home in the DeLand area and currently has three more under construction.
“West Volusia Habitat started building homes in DeLand back in 1987,” said Executive Director Randy Jenkins. “We now have 101 completed homes and will have two more finished later this summer and another by year-end.”
This level of building activity is a significant increase in the number of homes recently built by West Volusia Habitat. “Over the last few years, we’ve been delivering one to two homes a year,” said Randy. “Our goal is to continue to build our capacity to further meet the compelling need for more affordable housing.”
West Volusia Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit mission-driven organization committed to the principle of putting God’s love into action to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. The vision of Habitat for Humanity is a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Over the past years, Volusia County and the City of DeLand had attempted to restrict growth by regulating minimum lot and house sizes, increased setbacks, off-street parking requirements, and a requirement for garages. In this new post-COVID reality, our local municipal, county and state officials have come to appreciate that this may have done little to control growth but has made it nearly impossible to build a simple affordable home.
“With a refreshing change in the wind, pending land-development regulations are working their way through the system to ease these burdens on mission-driven nonprofits and restore our abilities to build a decent, sustainable, simple home within the core areas of our city on lots previously deemed to be unbuildable,” said Randy.
The community may help support this mission of safe, affordable homeownership by donating and volunteering. West Volusia Habitat for Humanity relies on volunteer labor for construction, and to staff their ReStore, office and special events.
“We always have open opportunities for volunteers,” said Randy. “Currently we have volunteer days on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the build sites, but we’re looking to expand that to include Thursdays as well.”
Please email donna@wvhabitat.org for more information on volunteering.
Volunteers who help build the homes do not need to have any prior knowledge or experience with construction. Not only are volunteers working alongside their neighbors, friends and Habitat staff, but also alongside the families they are building the home for — everyone working together, building homes, community, and hope!
The West Volusia Habitat for Humanity office and ReStore is located in DeLand at 604 S. Spring Garden Ave. Store hours are 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
To contact West Volusia Habitat for Humanity or to donate and/or view sale items, visit www.wvhabitat.org, or follow on Facebook and Instagram @westvolusiahabitatforhumanity, or you may call 386-734-7268.
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