Habitat News

Habitat for Humanity is an international Christian non-profit, building new homes for sale to low-income families. Anyone may apply to buy (income limits apply), and all volunteers are welcome, regardless of skills, eperience, or faith. In the East/South Bay, Habitat has built over 500 homes, with 10-20 typically under construction at any time. Habitat also sometimes rehabilitates older homes, helping veterans and seniors to safely stay there. Details on how families can qualify is here.
Visit www.habitatebsv.org for more information.

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Around the Covid era and shortly after, Habitat built 30 new condos in Fremont, and completely rebuilt 2 older homes (from the early 1900's) in Oakland. Mike has done electrical work at all these projects.

At the project by the Pleasant Hill BART station, Habitat is building 42 town homes, from 1 to 4 bedrooms, spread over 8 buildings. This is Habitat's first "all electric" development, and will have no natural gas at the site at all. Site work (grading, sewer installation, and perimeter fence work) started last year, but now the "vertical construction" is well underway.

As an electrician, Mike's main contribution to this site so far has been the temporary power installation along the fence. This supplies power for the tools container and office trailer, and for all the saws, air compressors, etc. needed for construction.


Here's some pictures, starting with the vacant land, and up to today, where you can see all four buildings of Phase I. The first two buildings have their roofs and windows, and the other two buildings aren't far behind.



While Esperanza Place is the BIG project going on, Mike has also been working at a building where the Concord ReStore (Habitat's version of a thrift shop) will soon be opening. The building was formerly a high-end furniture store, and it needed a lot of remodeling and customizing for the Habitat operation. So electrican Mike, with other Habitat volunteers, has been busy here as well!





Last year, Mike worked in Fremont at a 30-condo project, now complete. In addition, Mike was involved in Habitat's efforts helping the City of San Jose with some "sleeping cabins" for homeless people: almost 200 cabins are now on their permanent sites, with bathrooms, showers, laundry, kitchens, etc. in common buildings.



Several years ago, Mike worked, doing mainly electrical work, at a Habitat 20-home development in Martinez, now finished and occupied by the new owners. Here's some pictures from that project, from vacant lots to final completion, in just under 3 years.

Here's Mike and the volunteer electrical team, all looking smug, after building inspectors said "two thumbs up" for their work on some of the Martinez homes. (Habitat gets the same inspections a "for profit" home builder would.)



In addition to putting in panels, switches, plugs, and lights, Mike is part of the Habitat Speakers Bureau, and frequently gives talks to service clubs and other groups, seeking volunteers or donations.



OTHER FUTURE BUILDING LOCATIONS
 
    
Pacifica Landing--Bay Point            29 new town-homes; 			Construction starts
				       plans approved by County         	May 2023 



    
Cleaveland Road-Pleasant Hill            7 new town-homes;			Construction starts
				         land acquired from City		in 2024



POSSIBLE BUILDING LOCATIONS - PRELIMINARY STUDY / DISCUSSION
 
    
Antioch                                         space for 6 new homes
Oakland		            	                space for 95 new homes
Castro Street-San Leandro                       space for 3-4 new homes
Hayward				                space for 32 new homes
Naval Weapons Station-Concord			space for 68 new homes
Naval Air Station-Alameda			space for 75-80 new / refurbished homes
I-580 site-Oakland				space for 85 new homes
Quarry Lakes-Fremont				space for 32 new homes	  
101 So. Jackson Ave - San Jose			space for 14 new homes

COMPLETED SITES WHERE MIKE HAS WORKED
 
    

Manila Avenue-Oakland	                        2 older homes rebuilt: completed in 2022
Central Avenue-Fremont		            	30 new condos; completed 2020	
Harmon Avenue-Berkeley				1 older home rebuilt; completed in 2018
Muir Ridge-Martinez				20 new homes in 3 phases; completed 2018
70th Avenue-Oakland				1 older home rebuilt; completed in 2016
Livermore					2 older homes rebuilt; completed in 2015
BART-Walnut Creek				10 new town-homes; completed in 2014
Brookfield-Oakland				12 new town-homes; completed in 2014
Cleo Avenue-Cupertino				4 new homes; completed in 2012
Humbolt St-San Jose				1 new home; completed in 2012
Kinsell Commons-Oakland				22 new town-homes; completed in 2011
Hayward						5 older homes rebuilt; completed in 2011
El Rincon-Bay Point				9 new homes; completed in 2010
Bay Point					5 older homes rebuilt; completed in 2010
Edes Avenue-Oakland				54 new town-homes; completed in 2010
Concord						1 older home rebuilt; completed in 2009
Alameda						8 new town-homes; completed in 2008
Antioch						4 new town-homes; completed in 2007
Freda Court-Livermore				22 new town-homes; completed in 2007
Oakley						10 new homes; completed in 2005

PHOTO SCRAPBOOK -- MIKE THE ELECTRICIAN
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