WEST CAPE MAY — Habitat for Humanity Cape May County celebrated the completion of two new affordable homes on Willow Avenue on Sept. 16, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s efforts to expand affordable homeownership opportunities in the county — and a shared vision with the borough of West Cape May to bring affordable housing to Cape Island.
According to a news release from the organization, the neighboring three-bedroom homes at 14 and 16 Willow Ave. are the first Habitat homes constructed on Cape Island. The project was made possible through the vision and support of West Cape May, which worked with Habitat to see the project through from an early concept to two completed homes. Homeowner selection for the properties is currently under way.
For Habitat, affordable housing is often about helping working individuals and families remain part of the communities they already call home. More often than not, applicants are locally employed and have deep roots in Cape May County, but rising housing costs, limited year-round inventory, displacement, family changes or other life circumstances can make traditional homeownership increasingly difficult.
“Affordable housing is sometimes misunderstood,” said David DeTorre, director of Development and Construction for Habitat for Humanity Cape May County. “In many cases, we are talking about hardworking people who are already contributing to this community — people who grew up here, work here and want to stay here. The challenge is creating a realistic path for them to do that.”
Habitat Executive Director Sarah Mathews said the Willow Avenue project demonstrates what can happen when a community comes together around that goal.
“Our goal is to create opportunities for local families to build stability through homeownership,” Mathews said. “Willow Avenue is a great example of what can happen when a community comes together to make that opportunity possible.”
The homes were constructed using modular building methods, with the primary sections manufactured off-site before being delivered and set on permanent foundations in April. Local contractors, trades workers and volunteers then completed the site work, utilities, finishes, landscaping and final inspections.
Contributors included Duncan Homes, Streamlight, World Wide Jet, Tuckahoe Turf Farms and Church’s Garden Center, along with many others who provided financial support, materials, services, expertise and volunteer labor.
“The number of people who contributed in different ways was remarkable,” Board President Bruce Loversidge said. “West Cape May had a vision for what could happen here, and then so many people stepped in to help bring that vision to life. Some donated materials, some donated services or provided professional expertise and others simply showed up and worked. That is really what this mission is about — working collectively toward a common goal.”
Habitat is carrying that momentum into its next projects. Another affordable home is under construction in Whitesboro, making way for another local homeownership opportunity.
The organization is also exploring ways to make its homes more affordable to own and maintain over the long term. New Habitat homes are being built to current energy-efficiency standards and designed with future solar integration in mind.
Habitat hopes to expand its solar partnerships in the future, with the goal of helping reduce household energy costs for homeowners.
The organization is also exploring partnerships around native landscaping, water conservation and other sustainable site improvements that can conserve resources and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
“The need continues to grow, and no single type of project is going to solve the housing challenges facing Cape May County,” Mathews said. “We want to keep building strong partnerships and finding practical ways to create homes that are affordable not only to purchase, but also to own and maintain over time.”
For Habitat, the Sept. 16 ribbon cutting represented both the completion of two homes and a larger reminder of why local affordable housing efforts matter.
“These are two houses today,” DeTorre said, “but they are also two opportunities for people to remain connected to the community they know, work in and contribute to. As Habitat’s development pipeline continues to grow, each project helps us learn how to do more, build more efficiently and create more opportunities for local families.”
