By Jeremy Davis
REALTORS Care® about building community, and that was evident last Thursday when these licenced professionals came together in Transcona as part of the REALTORS Care® about Habitat for Humanity Team Build. They gathered on site at 900 Pandora Avenue West to participate in the largest build ever undertaken in the history of Habitat Manitoba.
REALTORS® from across our market region picked up hammers and saws to contribute their sweat equity to what will eventually total 55 homes. Volunteers spent the day building walls and ceilings, sawing and attaching the drywall, insulating the walls, and cleaning up the sites. They left their mark on these homes by signing the frames and leaving messages to the families who will be calling Pandora Avenue West home.
“Being on this project and working with 40+ other REALTORS® is so amazing. We’re connecting on such an important project and it’s a great feeling,” said Joel Green, co-chair on the Manitoba REALTORS® Shelter Foundation Board and a REALTOR® with Real Broker.
Situated on three acres of land, Habitat Manitoba is building 11 blocks of five townhouses which will result in 55 homes when the project reaches completion in November of 2026, two of which will be ready for families to move in during July-August of this year. This project will provide a place to call home for 275 people, including 175 children.
The 1,365 square foot townhouses will offer between 3 to 5 bedrooms, 1.5 to 2.5 bathrooms, a spot for parking, and a private yard for each homeowner or family to use.
Additionally, these homes will be energy efficient and have a carbon-free zero footprint.
“Giving back and volunteering has always been super important to me in my professional life and personal life,” said Rena Prefontaine, 2023-2024 Past-President of the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board and a Broker with eXp Realty. “I feel that giving back to a project such as [Pandora Avenue West] totally brings into play everything we do as REALTORS®. We are part of every person’s next chapter in their life, and so being able to do this build has been super inspiring and amazing for me!”
In addition to volunteering their time, effort and sweat, Manitoba Team Build Day volunteers have also helped fundraise much needed dollars for the REALTORS Care® about Habitat for Humanity campaign.
The Team Build Day occurred on June 13, 2024, and represented a collaborative effort between the Manitoba Real Estate Association’s (MREA) Manitoba REALTORS® Shelter Foundation, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), and Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.
In 2024, the Manitoba REALTORS® Shelter Foundation changed its funding model, where instead of donating funds raised to multiple charities in Manitoba, the foundation will donate all its funds raised to one singular charity. The reason for this change is to help deepen the impact REALTORS® make in our province and to help support deserving charities like the Habitat Manitoba and its Pandora Avenue West Project.
This all takes place under the umbrella of the national REALTORS Care® program which has been gaining momentum since 2007 through CREA to celebrate REALTORS® charitable achievements, advocacy in support of housing and shelter-related causes, fundraising in support of disaster victims in Canada and abroad, and inspiration and learning to advance the collective impact of the REALTOR® community.
“It is extra meaningful that we have the support of the Manitoba REALTORS® Shelter Foundation participating in partnership with this build site,” said Jamie Hall CEO of Habitat for Humanity. “When we’re working with partners in the housing industry it’s extra special, and so it’s wonderful to see this partnership with REALTORS® who are an important part of our housing economy here in Manitoba taking part to build these affordable homes for low-income families.”
Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 and has grown into a global non-profit organization working in more than 70 countries around the world. Habitat for Humanity Manitoba was formerly known as Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg and in 1987 became the first local Habitat non-profit housing organization founded in Canada. Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is built on the idea that everyone deserves a safe and decent place to live. Through the mobilization of communities, low-income families have been supported to gain strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. Over the years, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba has helped over 500 families and more than 1,400 children in Manitoba, and including Kenora, Ontario.
Anyone who wishes to contribute to this monumental build are encouraged to visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/95142 or scan the QR code below.
“The Manitoba Real Estate Association will also be hosting its annual golf tournament, the Brian M. Collie Memorial Shelter Classic, in support of the Manitoba REALTORS® Shelter Foundation on September 17, 2024, at the Southwood Golf and Country Club,” said David Salvatore, Chief Executive Officer, Manitoba Real Estate Association. “We hope to raise over $25,000 for the foundation, which was the amount raised last year.”
Jeremy Davis is the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s Director External Relations & Market Intelligence.