Flower City Habitat for Humanity celebrates 250th build

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Flower City Habitat for Humanity celebrated a major milestone on Thursday. Organization leaders broke ground on their 250th home built in the City of Rochester.

In the JOSANA neighborhood, on the block of Campbell Street alone, six Habitat for Humanity homes have already been built and starting this weekend, the seventh will begin excavation.

“I’m excited to finally be a homeowner. I was supposed to be a homeowner last year, but because of the pandemic, everything was closed down, so I’m excited that everything is being moved forward this year,” said Tiphfany, who is in a partnership with Flower City Habitat Humanity to purchase the home. (Her last name is being withheld for privacy reasons)

Thanks to the help of Flower City Habitat for Humanity and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, this monumental build will provide a roof over Tiphfany and her family’s heads for 30 years to come.

“Watching a family come in and settle, you see what happens for those kids and the whole new trajectory they’re on. It’s the stuff that just keeps you going on a day-to-day basis. It’s so powerful,” said Matthew J. Flanigan, chief executive officer of Flower City Habitat for Humanity.

For 37 years, the philanthropic has built or remodeled more than 245 homes in the City of Rochester, with nearly 100 constructed within the Greater JOSANA neighborhood as part of a master plan to strengthen local communities and provide close access to a neighboring school, School 17.

“I can look over your shoulders and see other houses that we have built. We know it’s not just their dream home, but we’re building a community to support around them as well. The home is important, but so is the rest of the community,” Flanigan said.

When asked how Tiphfany felt about this groundbreaking happening, she said she was exciting, happy and relieved.

Construction for this 250th home is scheduled to be completed by February 2022.