There were plenty of tears and smiles on display in Paso Robles Friday as Habitat for Humanity turned over nine newly built homes to low and middle income families.
The project took close to 15 years to complete, with hundreds of volunteers involved and each family participating in the construction of their own future homes. Abbie Baltazar, who has two children, said she was thrilled the work is finally done.
“We have done it all. I know some of my fellow neighbors will attest to this, but there have been days where I did not want to be here, but in the depths of our souls, we knew we had to get it done,” Baltazar said.
The three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot homes are a collaboration between Habitat for Humanity of SLO, San Luis Obispo County and the City of Paso Robles.
Nick Rasussen, CEO of Habitat for Humanity SLO said the project almost came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, but with help from the federal government was able to push on.
Tricia Hamish, Vice president of Habitat for Humanity’s Vice President of the executive board, said seeing the joy of those taking possession of the homes made the long wait worthwhile.
“I'm just honored to be a part of it and so proud of these families. They've worked so hard, you know, habitat’s mission is that each family puts in Sweat Equity, to build their homes and they've not only built their own homes, but they've helped their neighbors build their homes,” Hamish said.
Hamish said that with volunteers and families working side-by-side over the years, there is already a strong sense of community surrounding the houses on Vine Street.
Habitat for Humanity SLO has now built 26 homes, including residences in Atascadero, Grover Beach, and the city of San Luis Obispo.
