Lakeshore Habitat’s Haven Townhomes helping residents build equity, community
HOLLAND TWP. — The latest development from Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity is helping an overlooked population become homeowners in Ottawa County.
Lakeshore Habitat held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, Aug. 16, for Haven Townhomes, a five-unit townhome development for residents with disabilities. The project was done in partnership with GDK and Haven Christian Reformed Church.
The development consists of five townhome units “uniquely designed for single adults with disabilities.” It is located at the corner of Felch Street and Beeline Road in Holland Township.
“This home is going to mean building peace and serenity in the community with friendship,” John Bol, a Haven Townhomes homeowner, said Wednesday. “Thanks for all the support that everybody’s been giving.”
For Lakeshore Habitat Executive Director Don Wilkinson, the project hit close to home. He said he has a brother with disabilities and saw how his parents had to continuously put money aside so his brother could stay in an assisted living facility when they were gone. Wilkinson knows not everyone has that to fall back on.
“I know a lot of people with disabilities don’t get that opportunity,” Wilkinson said. “It was really important for me, and really for Habitat. We want to serve the entire population. It was pretty exciting for Habitat to step into this realm and do this.”
Chad Geenan of GDK said he and his team have “been very blessed by being a part of this project” and wished the homeowners “the best and blessings on your new home here.”
Owners for four of the five townhomes are already set, with the fifth going through the approval process. The new neighbors are already building friendship and community in addition to equity through home ownership.
“One of the unique things we were not anticipating as Lakeshore Habitat is the community that has already formed between these homeowners,” said Dave Rozman, senior development director at Lakeshore Habitat. “We have commented over and over again, you get the four of them together, it’s like they’ve been best friends forever.”
Homeowner Brenda Martinez said she’s excited about owning her own home and looks forward to spending time with her new neighbors.
“I like my new neighbors and I am glad we are all going to church, that we can be friends and we’re going to cook for each other,” she said. “Thank you to everybody that helped me, to all the people that came and helped me complete my hours and to all the people at Lakeshore Habitat who made this possible.”
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The project has been in the works for around five years, Wilkinson said. Habitat purchased the land from Haven Christian Reformed Church in November 2018. Lakeshore Habitat received a pair of grants, from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh and The Meijer Foundation, to support the project.
For more information on Lakeshore Habitat and its projects in the community, visit lakeshorehabitat.org.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Lakeshore Habitat’s latest build helping residents with disabilities
