To submit Business Bulletin announcements, click on image.
Cedar’s Foods of Haverhill is giving Essex County Habitat for Humanity $100,000 towards the construction of seven owner-occupied units in the Mount Washington neighborhood.
Aimee Tsakirellis, the vice president of marketing at Cedar’s Foods, said the Habitat project fits neatly into the company’s charitable giving goals.
“At Cedar’s, we’re proud to give back to the Haverhill community that has supported us for so many years,” Tsakirellis said in a press release. “This initiative with Habitat for Humanity is especially meaningful as it helps create stable, affordable housing for local families.”
As WHAV first reported in May, Habitat for Humanity is buying a single-family house at 512 Washington St. from Keith Boucher for $650,000. Habitat is planning to renovate the Victorian-era home to create three units and add two duplexes on the property.
The City of Haverhill is contributing $149,173 from federal HOME program funds, according to Andrew K. Herlihy, division director for the city’s Community Development Department, Herlihy noted that the property is located in a neighborhood that has the lowest percentage of home ownership in the city.
Construction is anticipated next year, according to Habitat’s development director Kevin Hudson, who noted the project still must go through the city’s permitting process.
“We are thrilled to begin this new partnership with Cedar’s Foods,” Hudson told WHAV. “Their generous donation will go a long way towards funding this project.”
Haverhill resident and Habitat Family Selection Committee Co-Chair Pati Fernandez explained, “the average single-family home price has reached $900,000 in Greater Boston, making homeownership even more out of reach for low-income families who often hold down two jobs while trying to raise a family. People are leaving Massachusetts because they can’t afford to live here.”
The organization uses a model in which selected homeowners contribute at least 240 hours of “sweat equity” to help build their homes and repay an affordable 30-year mortgage.
Habitat is currently completing another duplex at 41 Curtis St. in Haverhill.