Boynton Beach CRA Model Block Project Completed and Celebrated; Included Groundbreaking of Two New Habitat Homes

Photos by: Amy Pasqauntonio

The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) in partnership with the City of Boynton Beach, and Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County (HFHSPBC) cut the ribbon on the completion of the Model Block project at NW 11th Avenue and broke ground on two new Habitat single-family homes to be built on the new street.

On hand for the open-to-the-public celebration were officials from the Boynton Beach CRA and the City of Boynton Beach along with HFHSPBC leadership, the two Habitat presenting home sponsors, Sklar Furnishings and Publix Supermarket Charities, and the Habitat Future Homebuyers, Gretta Ceasar and Reginald Moss.

The Model Block Project Collaboration

The Boynton Beach CRA and the City of Boynton Beach collaborated on the land acquisition, for the construction of for-sale single-family homes and roadway improvements for the Model Block project since 2012. Located within the Heart of Boynton District and the Poinciana Gardens neighborhood, between NW 10th and NW 11th Avenues, the Model Block project consists of the development of 16 new single-family homes, seven (7) of which have been completed, and infrastructure improvements within the NW 11th Avenue right-of-way. The total cost of the NW 11th Avenue project is approximately $475,000.

HFHSPBC received a $75,000 grant from the Boynton Beach CRA to help fund the 501(c) (3) organization’s comprehensive Increasing the Quality of Life Program, designed to create new and maintain existing affordable housing. HFHSPBC will also provide educational opportunities to prospective homeowners and community residents within the CRA area. Additionally, through its Project Uplift Program, HFHSPBC will build five new and affordable three-bedroom, two-bath homes within the CRA area for which the nonprofit will provide zero-interest mortgages to qualified, hard-working, low-income future Habitat Homebuyers. Supporting the belief that affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities, the affiliate of the global nonprofit organization, Habitat for Humanity International, provides a transformational “hand-up, never a hand-out” by bringing municipalities and their CRAs, corporate partners and people together to build homes, community, and hope in South Palm Beach County. To fulfill its mission, HFHSPBC depends upon volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money, materials, services and property.

HFHSPBC Past Chair Rick Howard and Pat Howard of Sklar Furnishings/Habitat Presenting Home Sponsor; Gretta Ceasar, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Reagan Moss; Reginald Moss, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Danny Barber, Tall McGahee, Joshua Tenore, Stephanie Russotti and Michele Mauri of Publix Super Markets Charities/Habitat Presenting Home Sponsor

“What an exciting, meaningful morning celebrating Habitat’s relationship with the Boynton Beach CRA and the City of Boynton Beach that will bring the five Habitat single-family homes to this Model Block initiative,” noted HFHSPBC President & CEO Randy Nobles. “This collaboration along with the generosity of the presenting home sponsors Sklar Furnishings and Publix Supermarket Charities for our first two homes of five to be built will impact each Homebuyer Family and the Boynton Beach community for generations to come.”

Habitat Groundbreaking Demonstrates
New “Cost of Home” Advocacy Campaign in Action

Because South Palm Beach County is one of the most costly areas in the country, particularly to rent a safe, decent apartment or home, Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County (HFHSPBC) has joined Habitat affiliates across the country in launching a new national advocacy campaign aimed at improving home affordability for 10 million people in the U.S. over the next five years. Marking significant growth in Habitat’s commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent place to call home, the Cost of Home campaign (habitat.org/costofhome) seeks to identify and improve policies and systems through coordinated advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels.

HFHSPBC Past Chair Rick Howard and Pat Howard of Sklar Furnishings/Habitat Presenting Home Sponsor; Gretta Ceasar, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Randy Nobles, HFHSPBC President & CEO

Locally, HFHSPBC’s Cost of Home role focuses on improving housing affordability across the housing continuum in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton in four specific policy areas: increasing supply and preservation of affordable homes, equitably increasing access to credit, optimizing land use for affordable homes, and ensuring access communities of opportunity.

Gretta Ceasar, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Holly Carson, HFHSPBC Director of Homeowner Services; Reginald Moss, HFHSPBC Home Buyer

“Forging successful municipalities and CRA relationships and public-private collaborations for groundbreakings, such as today, on new affordable homes to be built, then financed by HFHSPBC’s zero-interest mortgage program for hard working, low income Habitat future homebuyers, demonstrates HFHSPBC’s local Cost of Home initiative “actively at work”, adds HFHSPBC Senior Director of Government and Community Affairs, Mohamed Abdalla, who is leading the local initiative.

Reginald Moss, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Reagan Moss; Joshua Tenore of Publix Super Markets Charities/Habitat Presenting Home Sponsor

Joshua Tenore, Stephanie Russotti, Danny Barber, Michele Mauri, and Talla McGahee of Publix Super Markets Charities/Habitat Presenting Home Sponsor; Reginald Moss, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Reagan Moss; Mack McCray, Boynton Beach City Commissioner/CRA Board Member; Ty Penserga, Boynton Beach Commissioner/CRA Board Member; Christina Romelus, Boynton Beach Commissioner/CRA Board Member; Andrew Mack, Boynton Beach Public Works Director; Lori LaVerriere, Boynton Beach City Manager and Michael Simon, Boynton Beach CRA Executive Director; Scott Sullivan, HFHSPBC Board Chair; Randy Nobles, HFHSPBC President & CEO

Randy Nobles, HFHSPBC President & CEO; Scott Sullivan, HFHSPBC Board Chair; Pat Howard and HFHSPBC Past Chair Rick Howard of Sklar Furnishings/Habitat Presenting Home Sponsor; Gretta Ceasar, HFHSPBC Home Buyer; Mack McCray, Boynton Beach City Commissioner/CRA Board Member; Ty Penserga, Boynton Beach Commissioner/CRA Board Member; Christina Romelus, Boynton Beach Commissioner/CRA Board Member; Andrew Mack, Boynton Beach Public Works Director; Lori LaVerriere, Boynton Beach City Manager and Michael Simon, Boynton Beach CRA Executive Director

For more information on HFHSPBC, its Future Homebuyer Program and Cost of Home initiative, visit www.habitatsouthpalmbeach.org or call (561) 819-6070.