Jacksonville, Fla.
Building a 100-house Miracle

When the board of directors for HFH of Jacksonville set the goal of building 200 houses in 2000, they knew it would take a special effort. The affiliate had built 500 houses in 11 years; they were accustomed to the challenges of high- volume building. But when they decided to build 100 houses in 17 days as part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project, some thought it would take a miracle.

If you ask Frank Barker, the executive director for “HabiJax,” that’s just what they got. “All the people who came out, including the president, bring to life the miracles,” he says.

So how does one create a miracle? The answer for HabiJax perhaps could be summed up in two words: faith and partnerships.

“The reason we are successful is because we talk about our faith,” Barker says. “I think most affiliates feel they can’t come out and say ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christian’ without offending someone. I don’t see it that way.”

In 1995, the affiliate had been building 25 to 30 houses a year for several years. The board of directors, stepping out on faith, decided to increase the number of houses built each year by 40 percent, the same rate at which the number of U.S. affiliates was growing.

Since then, HabiJax has worked steadily toward its goal. The staff roster has gone from single digits to 62, and HabiJax expects JCWP to push its volunteer base to 25,000 this year.

Partnerships with the Northeast Florida Builders Association, the Jacksonville Housing Authority, the City of Jacksonville, and the Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau proved crucial in managing a project encompassing 952 city inspections and 17,000 lunches. NEFBA enlisted 24 of its member builders to become house sponsors and take responsibility for hiring subcontractors and maintaining a rigorous building schedule.

The builders also arranged for framing crews to work on many of the houses, which added an interesting—and educational—element to work site dynamics. Many of the professional crews had worked with each other for years; their teamwork resembled a choreographed dance. The interaction with volunteers, many of whom hold down corporate jobs, was valuable.

“I think people have a misconception about construction workers —that they’re dirty, tattooed, foul-mouthed people,” says Monty Parks, a professional framer. “What I’ve seen is that they’re intelligent, work hard, and have good mettle. It’s an art.”

Homeowner Chanetta Culver was impressed with the volunteers and experts who worked on her house while she worked at her full-time job. When she learned the crew kept on working through three hours of rain, her eyes misted up. “Without those volunteers, I wouldn’t have made it,” she says. “They really made a difference.”

Fairway Oaks, the main building site, was an abandoned public-housing project before the Jacksonville Housing Authority donated the land to HabiJax. The JHA renovated the existing apartments, and with the addition of 85 Habitat houses, a community park and a homeowners association, new life is coming to the area. Fifteen other JCWP houses were built in a variety of locations close to Fairway Oaks.

Although the affiliate anticipates hitting the 1,000-house mark by 2002, Barker estimates it will take five times that many houses to satisfy the need for decent housing in Jacksonville. But as more families become Habitat homeowners and pay their mortgages, the affiliate’s capacity to build will grow.

“We want to not only eliminate substandard housing, but also keep it away for future generations,” Barker says.

Volunteers, homeowners and members of the community came to the site Sept. 22 to dedicate the new neighborhood, when homeowners received a gift that shows the spirit of the community. Planted in almost every yard are small oak saplings, a reminder of strength and hope for the future.


--Rebekah Graydon





Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, December 2000/January 2001.
This article may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
©2000 Habitat for Humanity International