Contact:  Terri Marino, Executive Director
              Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area 
              307-690-1980    terri@tetonhabitat.org

Home To Be Built in One Week

Professional home builders help Habitat hammer home need                                   for affordable housing

May 21, 2008 – Jackson Hole, Wyoming – On Monday, June 2, local professional home builders will begin a week-long venture to construct a new Habitat home in Melody Ranch. By recruiting professionals to volunteer their time and expertise, Habitat will reduce the typical six-month build schedule to just seven days.

This effort is part of a nationwide Home Builders Blitz that will involve 110 Habitat affiliates and result in more than 260 homes constructed. The home that will be built in Melody Ranch will be the first home ever “blitz built” home in Wyoming.

The effort is being led by Matt Lee of Teton Heritage Builders, who is the primary home sponsor. Two Ocean Builders and Mountain Home Builders are providing site leaders and a number of carpenters, and an additional sixteen local subcontractors and suppliers have signed on to help by donating both labor and materials. On a national scale, both Whirlpool and Dow are supporting the effort by providing free appliances and blue board.


“The Home Builders Blitz provides an opportunity for our affiliate to sell an additional home this year to a family in need, while providing an opportunity for our local builders to make a significant impact by contributing a few days of their expertise,” said Matt Lee, Home Builders Blitz chair.

Additional financial support is being provided by The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, who recently awarded Habitat with a $25,000 grant for this project, as well as a number of private donors who have earmarked funds for this project.

The home will be purchased by Angel and Andrea Perez, who have four children. Angel works for St. John’s Hospital and Albertsons and Andrea works for Community Children’s Project. The Perez family has already completed their required 500 hours of “sweat equity” required by the Habitat program by working on other Habitat homes.

Habitat will need several volunteers during the week to support the professionals by clearing the site of debris, serving food and registering builders. Volunteers must register in advance. To sign up to be part of the effort, contact Habitat at 734-0828 or email volunteer@tetonhabitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity builds homes with those in need in Teton County. Homes are built by volunteers and are then sold to partner families with a no-interest, no-profit mortgage to ensure low monthly payments. Homeowners are required to contribute 500 hours of their own “sweat equity” on their home before they are allowed to move in. Habitat also runs the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which sells used and surplus building supplies, to help fund the building of Habitat homes. By the end of 2008, Habitat will have completed 17 homes in Teton County.

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