New York Construction Report staff writer
Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County will use $150,000 in grants from Wells Fargo to transform 13 vacant, dilapidated, houses in Queens into Habitat Net Zero, a mix of 16 new and rehabilitated green homes.
As part of the development, 13 of the new homes will be new construction – built using modular construction, and three will be gut rehabilitations of the existing structures. The homes will be equipped with rooftop solar panels and highly efficient heat-pump technology for heating and cooling, reducing costs, and keeping homes at or near net zero energy use
“Our communities are strongest when families have an opportunity to own a piece of them, to build equity, and to experience the wealth, health, and educational benefits that go with it, especially in our city where more than one in three households struggle to afford housing,” said Karen Haycox, CEO, Habitat NYC and Westchester.
“Our work would not be possible without the strong commitment of partners like Wells Fargo with whom we’ve worked for more than 15 years in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.”
Wells Fargo volunteers joined Habitat NYC and Westchester on the site of Habitat Net Zero in Southeast Queens to help with site preparation for new construction.
“As homeownership remains out of reach for too many families in southeastern Queens, we’re proud of our long-standing work with Habitat for Humanity NYC and Westchester to increase the supply of homes that are affordable, energy efficient, and help more people realize the dream of homeownership,” said Catherine Domenech, vice president, New York community relations at Wells Fargo.
“Volunteering with Habitat has always been a huge source of pride for our employees, and this work is vital to ensuring that Habitat NYC and Westchester can help provide first-time homeownership opportunities and long-term affordability to local families.”
Since 2006, Wells Fargo has contributed over $1.3 million to Habitat NYC projects.
