Ten homes go up in central city during weeklong building blitz

Congresswoman Gwen Moore addresses community and political leaders and Habitat volunteers during a kick-off rally for Thrivent Builds with Habitat home project being constructed in the Harambee Neighborhood. The rally was part of a weeklong effort by the financial and affordable home building organization to build 10 homes during the year. (photo by Harry Kemp)

Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Senator Herb Kohl and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker joined representatives of the Harambee Great Neighborhood Steering Committee, Milwaukee Habitat, Thrivent Financial and the Milwaukee Brewers in raising a wall for a home on the new Thrivent Builds with Habitat home project.

The event took place in the 2900 block of North 5th Street. A rally followed the wall raising, which celebrated the beginning of a week of construction and highlighted the nearly $3 million Thrivent Financial and its foundation has committed to the Harambee neighborhood in the last two years.

The "Thrivent Builds with Habitat Week" includes a daily deluge of 170 Thrivent Financial volunteers working alongside Habitat partner families to accelerate the construction of the 10 Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity homes being constructed in the Harambee neighborhood in 2008.

The construction of these 10 homes is part of a larger holistic revitalization plan in the Harambee community to benefit the neighborhood through housing, redevelopment and education.

"I have bought into the dream of homeownership," said Tashana Windhom Prescott, a Habitat partner family who joined hundreds of volunteers in beginning the construction on her new home on North 5th Street.

"I want my son to experience the wonders of living in a house that his mom owns," said Prescott, a case coordinator for the state of Wisconsin.

Carmel Ramsey, a paraprofessional with Milwaukee Public Schools and the mother of two teenage sons, said she and her children need their own space and privacy.

"We would like to be part of a community that is improving and promoting homeownership. We would like to help rebuild the community so that it’s safe, decent and clean," said Ramsey, whose own home will be on North 5th Street.

This plan was created by the Harambee Great Neighborhood Steering Committee, a coalition consisting of residents and community organizations, including Milwaukee Habitat and Thrivent Financial.

Monday, May 5, eight homes were being constructed with the ninth and 10th homes starting in the next few weeks.

The homes will be located in the 2900 block of north 5th street and the 2900-3000 block of north 7th street in the Harambee neighborhood.

One home was recently framed in the parking lot at Miller Park and moved to the neighborhood.

In addition, Thrivent Financial is providing 65 percent of building costs, or $689,980, to Milwaukee Habitat to support the construction of the 10 homes through Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, a $125 million four-year alliance between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International. By the end of this year, 30 Milwaukee families will be in homes constructed through this alliance, including 10 homes built in Harambee in 2007 and 10 homes in Washington Park in 2006.