Let’s check in with Habitat for Humanity

Hannah Edwards, Community Outreach Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Keys, joined Good Morning Keys this morning on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM to talk about what’s been going on with Habitat.

More than $100,000 was raised at the recent Tropical Gala for Habitat for Humanity.

Edwards said, “Everybody had a great time. It was very successful.”

The Moss Landing development in Cudjoe Key is nearing completion. In fact, a celebration is planned this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cudjoe Fire Station.

Edwards said, “We are also honoring the last five families that have completed their split equity labor on their homes and are getting ready to move in. We will be blessing those homes. We do a home dedication for those five homes. We do that every time a family closes on their homes.”

The party will actually include other families that moved into Moss Landing during COVID and had to have a revised home blessing.

Edwards said, “Our former executive director, Mark Moss, who the development was named for, he passed away in 2018, but his whole family is coming down for the event. So that’ll be a really special time for them to see the completion of what Mark started and really get to honor him as well.”

The event will include food, drink, face painting for the kids and a tour of one of the homes.

Edwards said, “If you’re wondering what Habitat does, I would come and check it out.”

If you would like to attend the Moss Landing celebration, please RSVP to [email protected] or call 305-294-9006, option 5.

Habitat for Humanity also helps prepare people for homeownership. In fact, a free homeownership preparedness course was just completed. It was the second one that has taken place.

Edwards said, “It was very successful. We got great reviews from all the students.”

Because of the limited number of homes in the Keys, sometimes creative solutions need to be found.

Edwards said, “We’re going to talk about scheduling the next session because we still have 85 people on the waiting list who want to take this class, so it’s definitely in demand.”

The classes for homeownership are available online. To see those classes, click here:  https://www.habitatlowerkeys.org/homeownereducation

Affordable rentals are also available through Habitat on Stock Island and in Key West.

Edwards said, “I wish we had more of them. There’s just such a need.”