Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/380056
A&E's home renovation show, Flipping Boston. They stopped in for a few hours of work on Wednesday. "If you can help out, you gotta help out," Souhleris says, taking a very brief break from cleaning up after the builders in one of the homes. "Even if you're just lugging doors." Getting the houses up in such a short time required careful coordination and nine months of planning. The core team of Howell Custom Building Group, Cote & Foster, JSR Adaptive Energy Solu- tions, Lavallee Plumbing & Heating, Red Phoenix Construction, The Remodeling Company, and Steeplechase Builders each took ownership of one aspect of construc- tion. Local restaurants and food stores donated snacks, meals, water, and coffee to sustain volunteers through the building marathon. "We hope we've planted a seed in this neighborhood that will help rejuve- nate things," says Howell. Throughout the process, the homes' new owners worked alongside the professionals and other volunteers throughout the week. On Saturday morning, they were among the crews shoveling and sweeping, clearing away the last bits of debris from the site. As the building went up, neighbors emerged from houses or wandered by to monitor the progress and take in the bustling activity. "This project beautifie the neighborhood," notes neighbor Linda Galland. "And it encourages industrious, respectable people to move into the city of Lawrence." All Habitat for Humanity homeown- ers make between 25 and 50 percent of the median household income for the ne 64 nshoremag.com October 2014 Community Happy Homeowners the Kankolongo family; the crew finishes the in eriors; Peter Souhleris and Dave Seymour with volunteers; the job site area; in Lawrence, that means $22,000 to $44,000 for a family of four, with higher numbers for larger families, according the Merrimack Valley Habitat group. Habitat finances the homes with a zero-interest mortgage, so the buyers get an affordable new home but are still building equity, credit, and the pride of homeownership. Kankolongo now lives in one unit with his wife and five children. They moved from a fourth-floor apartment just around the corner, and they are delighted to have fewer stairs to climb and a yard to enjoy. Next door, former Chelsea residents Kiriza Zihalirwa and Bora Kafarhire live with their five children. Though Zihalirwa works in Boston, he is unconcerned about his longer commute. "The drive is worth it to have this house," he says. habitat.org