Last week women from across Northern Ireland and the United States joined together on Habitat for Humanity’s building site at Templemore Avenue to don their hard hats and raise the frames on six new homes for local, low-income families.
Earlier this year Habitat completed 6 highly energy efficient homes just a few minutes’ walk away at Madrid Street. The Templemore Avenue project builds on the charities efforts to help regenerate this area of East Belfast.
Every day last week local women, representing different sectors of our community joined the international team raising the frames and building new relationships.
One team was a local cross-community group made up of women from East Belfast and the Short Strand area. Over recent years the group have been working to bring both sides of the community together, helping to build peace and good relations.
Habitat NI’s Chief Executive, Jenny Williams, joined the team on site last week to help raise the frames.
“Women around the world have so much to offer in building community. It was really exciting to be able to work beside local women demonstrating their commitment to building a better future for Northern Ireland.’
The project is an opportunity for families to build their own home alongside volunteers like the women who gave up their time last week.
Habitat will provide a partnership grant of £5,000 to families as a deposit which does not need to be repaid, helping to unlock hard to access mortgage finance.
Families interested in partnering with Habitat to build their own home at Templemore Avenue can attend an information session next Tuesday, 27th September, from 7-9pm at Oasis Centre, Castlereagh Street. Or contact Tom O’Dowd on 028 90 262 945 for more information.