Two Homes in Two Days, A Dream Come True

It was a two-day block party for residents of Pierce Street in Sandusky last week, as neighbors came out to watch new homes be set on their foundations and dreams come true in real time.

Hannah Smith, her three children, husband, and mother were all there to watch. Hannah has a personal goal: to own a home by age thirty. With her birthday coming up in late September, she is on track to reach her goal with just a few days to spare. Hannah will soon own one of these homes thanks to the Welcome Home Sandusky program.

On Friday morning, she set up lawn chairs early in the morning across the street from where her new house was being set. Her kids took turns walking to their new neighborhood’s park, tossing a football on the sidewalk, and coaxing the neighborhood cats. The kids go back to school on September 2nd, and Hannah’s job—an administrative assistant and bus driver and for Sandusky city schools—is about to get very busy. 

Hannah wasn’t the only one with eyes on the scene. Neighbors on all sides of the properties watched from their porches or walked down the sidewalk to see the cranes work. One neighbor remarked that he’d lived on this street his whole adult life, and never imagined he’d see something built on the empty lot. 

These two homes are the first of the Welcome Home Sandusky program, which is making homeownership attainable for Sandusky Residents. The initial site work was done by Community Building Partners to lay the literal (and figurative) groundwork for last week’s build. The homes were built by Unibilt, a southern-Ohio based family company that builds modular homes and delivers them around the state. These 2-story homes will be energy and cost-efficient, with three bedrooms and 2 baths. 

The first step of the process began a month ago with the laying of the foundation and pouring the basement walls. The units arrived Thursday morning with drywall, windows, and countertops installed. On site, the Unibilt team raised and shingled the roof. 

Although Thursday’s installation was clouded by a morning drizzle, the sun came out on Friday to dry the mud and shine light on the accomplishment. 

The actual set took about 10 minutes, to raise each unit via crane, line it up, and attach. The 4 weeks will be a whirlwind of electrical work, furnishing, siding, and porch construction.

The City of Sandusky has scheduled a ribbon cutting ceremony for the end of September. More event details and construction progress updates will be available soon. 

We are looking for more buyers for the next phase of the program. Visit welcomehomesandusky.com to learn more.

This project is part of the Welcome Home Sandusky program- a collaboration between the City of Sandusky, Community Building Partners and Neighborworks Toledo to produce new affordable housing. The Welcome Home Sandusky program is a result of the Ohio Department of Development’s Welcome Home Ohio (WHO) grant program. The City of Sandusky was awarded $3.5 million for the development of 14 new single-family homes and $90,000 for Habitat for Humanity rehabilitation projects. 

This project is an innovative model for adding value to neighborhoods and addressing the increasing barriers to homeownership for working families. The WHO grant funding will significantly reduce the sale price to homebuyers, making the homes affordable to families at or below 80% AMI.