POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - An automotive company is among several businesses breathing new life into a historic South Florida neighborhood, as they help families achieve their goals of homeownership as part of a Habitat for Humanity project.
7News cameras captured families and local leaders at a dedication ceremony at the Collier City neighborhood in Pompano Beach, Saturday morning.
JM Family Enterprises is sponsoring four homes amid efforts to revitalize a historic Black neighborhood that is in dire need of a face-lift.
“These are our 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd homes, and I say homes. They’re not just houses,” said Brent Burns, the company’s CEO.
These homes will go a long way to literally building back the neighborhood in one of Broward County’s most economically challenged ZIP codes.
Habitat for Humanity of Broward joins the City of Pompano Beach, individual donors and businesses to make the dream of homeownership a reality.
Nguyen Tran, director of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Pompano Beach, said this project has been years in the making.
“This started back in 2015. These lots that the CRA donated to Habitat were not buildable as single-family, so it took the city coming in to change the codes to allow single-family homes,” he said, “and then it took the nonprofit partnership of Habitat to make it happen with the eligible buyers, and of course, the private sector coming in to sponsor these homes.”
“This is such a great story and, I believe, a national model. It is the epitome of Habitat’s mission, which is building homes, community and hope,” said Nancy Robin, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Broward.
There are already 100 Habitat homes in this community. The partnership is turning vacant lots into 12 homes, giving four families the opportunity to get a taste of homeownership.
“Well, it’s really about affordable housing, which is in such dire need right now,” said Burns.
The CRA of Pompano Beach kicked off the improvements to street lights and landscaping. They also added a new Broward Sheriff’s Office substation.
Meondae Stanley, his wife and two sons are moving from an apartment in an industrial area of Pompano Beach to a brand-new community and a four-bedroom, two-bath home, plus a no-interest mortgage.
“It feels great today, I promise,” he said.
The new homeowner said he’s grateful to everyone who made this day possible.
“To see CEOs, people who have been on their jobs … to come out when they worked 40-hour weeks, they come out and they help me. They don’t know me from a can of paint, and they came and helped me,” said Stanley. “We come in as good individuals and good citizens and make a better place, and for a better environment.”
WSVN is a proud sponsor of Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity of Broward County
www.habitatbroward.org
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami
www.miamihabitat.org
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