Future Habitat for Humanity homeowners take part in East Bay build
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KRON) — Five years ago, before the first nails were hammered into walls, Yulisa Elenes applied for homeownership at Habitat for Humanity East Bay-Silicon Valley’s affordable housing community. The community is under construction in Walnut Cireek at Esperanza Place.
She was accepted in 2021. As part of their qualification, Elenes and her partner have put in about 250 construction hours to help build the new home in which they will raise Cesar, their 11-year-old son with special needs.
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“I thought it was an amazing program,” said Elenes. “If there’s any way that I’ll be able to stay in the Bay Area long-term — I’m a native from the Bay Area — it was going to be through a program like this.”
Elenes and her family are among the first of 23 families set to move into their homes next month. On Friday, during the nonprofit’s eighth annual women’s leadership build, volunteers joined for the first of two days, constructing walls for phase two of the project.
That phase is scheduled for completion next year.
“Framing 19 homes for the rest of this development,” said Janice Jensen of Habitat for Humanity. “[There] will be 42 homes here when we’re done.”
These women’s leadership builds are more than just an event. With weather and pandemic-related construction delays, these volunteers are essential to completing this project.
“Watching women do really difficult work. They’re taking it to, like, the next level,” said Walnut Creek Mayor Loella Haskew.
“There’s nothing like being able to be part of building your home with so much love,” Elenes said. “I don’t know many people that are able to say, ‘I built this house from the floor — from the ground up.'”
The second day of the event is next Friday. Applications are still being accepted for the homes under construction for phase two.
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