Press Release

Construction begins on three affordable Habitat homes in Yorba Linda

Site is Yorba Linda's first Habitat development and includes workforce homes

Santa Ana, CA, March 20, 2009 -- Habitat for Humanity families, volunteers, and donors will make dreams come true as they begin to build three homes at 4965 Park Avenue in Yorba Linda on Saturday, April, 4, 2009, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Habitat of Humanity of Orange County will hold a celebration to kick off the beginning of construction on three Habitat OC homes in Yorba Linda.

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County families, volunteers and donor.

4965 Park Avenue in Yorba Linda

• Volunteers and families will stand side-by-side to raise the first walls for these homes in a manner reminiscent of an old-fashioned barn-raising.
• The three homes will be Habitat for Humanity of Orange County's first Habitat OC homes marketed to families with incomes within the following levels: two homes for buyers earning up to 120% of the area median income ($100,900 for a family of four) and one home for a local family earning 50% of the area median income ($46,500 for a family of four).
• Habitat's first homes in Yorba Linda.

About Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

Celebrating 20 years of changing lives and changing communities in Orange County. 130 houses built in Orange County
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, headquartered in Santa Ana, CA, is dedicated to ending substandard housing and building strong communities in Orange County. Habitat uses non-government donations of funding, materials, professional services and volunteer labor to build simple, decent homes which are sold to qualified low-income families for a 1% down payment, closing costs, and a zero-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments are recycled to build more Habitat homes. Habitat families contribute 500 hours of "sweat equity" to the program by building their own home, helping another Habitat family build a home, or working in some other area of the Habitat organization. Habitat for Humanity families and volunteers have built 130 homes in Orange County since 1988, and are currently building eight homes in San Juan Capistrano.

27 homes to be built in San Juan Capistrano
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s Habitat for Heroes and Foundations for Families™ development of 27 homes at the end of Calle Rolando will be built in phases.  Framing for the first four homes began on July 2, 2008.  The second four homes were framed on October 3, 2008.  Funding for the land on which these homes are being built was donated by the City of San Juan Capistrano Redevelopment Agency.  Funds for building these homes have been generously donated by The HTN Foundation; Bank of America; the Orange County Realtors Partnership, which consists of the Orange County Association of REALTORS®, Laguna Board of REALTORS®, and Newport Beach Association of REALTORS®; an anonymous donor;  the Steve Tisch Foundation; Toshiba America Business Solutions; the Presbyterian Partnership; St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point; Hyundai Motor America; the Van Cleve Foundation; and more than a thousand other local donors.

300,000 houses built worldwide
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, an ecumenical Christian housing ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat International has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. Habitat for Humanity International is currently the 16th largest homebuilder in the United States, according to Builder OnLine magazine.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, please call (714) 434-6200 extension 229 or visit our Web site at habitatoc.org.

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