5-02-2023 7:38pm

Habitat DC-NOVA homes in Groveton near completion

Erika Christ Editor

One of the three nearly completed Habitat for Humanity homes on Groveton Street

Three neighboring homes being built in Groveton by Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia (Habitat DC-NOVA) are about 80% complete and will be ready for move-in by summer, according to staff members from the nonprofit.

The homes, funded partly by an affordable housing grant from the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, are the largest that Habitat DC-NOVA has built to date and the first to be included in the Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust (VSCLT), said Liz Salter, Habitat’s director of donor relations and communications. The VSCLT, of which Habitat DC-NOVA is a founding member, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to keeping homes affordable for future owners by retaining ownership of the land and selling buildings only to income-qualified buyers.

The three Groveton Street homes are not only tailored for larger families but are meant to help them age in place and accommodate family members who may have mobility issues. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes are set up in such a way that family members can occupy just the first floor if needed. To help one of the families selected for move-in this summer, Habitat team members are installing a wheelchair ramp and an electrical outlet at the base of the interior stairwell for a future stairlift.

Sustainability also factors large in the homes, which incorporate eco-friendly materials, feature solar panels and soon will be outfitted with energy-efficient appliances.

Over the past year, with the diminishing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, Habitat DC-NOVA has welcomed back many community and corporate groups, as well as individuals, for build days at the Groveton site. Those volunteering have included the homes’ future occupants. At least one of the sets of families will be speaking at Habitat’s soon to be scheduled ribbon-cutting event.

Besides the Groveton Street homes, Habitat DC-NOVA has built houses on nearby Clayborne Avenue and Donora Drive in recent years, as well as renovated a home on Frye Road. The nonprofit is currently working on eight other home construction projects in Washington, D.C.