HomeBuilders Assoc - Government Affairs/Community Affairs

The Home Builders Association - Giving Back To Our Community

The HBA has a long history of service to the community,
including fund-raising and volunteer building services.
(i.e. John Brown House, McNeill Home, Porter Home, Ronald McDonald House,
and Safe Landing Shelter)

New Urban Housing Projects
(i.e. City of Akron = Cityview / Bisson Avenue, Coburn Street, Newton Crossings, and UNDC

Honodle Avenue - 2004-2005, Goodyear Heights
Phase I - 20 homes, 2004
Phase II - 18 homes, 2005

     The Home Builders Association serving Portage & Summit Counties (HBA) along with the City of Akron is embarking upon another successful housing project within the "Heart of the City" - the Cityview and Bisson Avenue Project. The history of these successful projects is excellent and has the potential to create a future impact upon the City of Akron housing stock. The HBA states, "Once again the innovative thinkers from the City of Akron have partnered with the HBA to provide the right housing project, in the right location, and at an affordable price point. There is no doubt in my mind that the success of this project will be recognized and copied across the entire country."
     The Cityview and Bisson Avenue will become Akron's newest neighborhood. The HBA and the City of Akron are working together in a partnership to redevelop nearly four-acres of land on the City's near west side. The property is located between Cityview Avenue and Bisson Avenue on the west side of East Avenue in the Bisson Neighborhood Development Area. The city acquired the land over the past several years and removed existing substandard homes. The lots were reconfigured to meet current city standards.
     Nine HBA builder members will construct 18 homes, 9 lots on Bisson Avenue and 9 lots on Cityview Avenue. Construction of the new homes will start in February 2003 and will be complete in June. Once construction is complete, the HBA and City of Akron will host an open house for all residents to see the potential of building new homes in the City. As the process evolved, the City agreed to sell the land at a reduced rate while the builders agreed on a common design theme prepared by a professional architect, T. M. Westover Architects and Associates, Inc.; a common construction schedule; and sharing resources including excavating and tree removal. The homes will range in size from 1250 to 1500 square feet. Several unique features will attract new home buyers to this market. First, affordability with price ranges from $95,000 to $130,000. Second, location with access to downtown Akron, new Wooster Branch of the Akron/Summit County Library, Miller South School for the Performing Arts, and recreation opportunities.
     Carmine Torio, Executive Vice President of the HBA stated, "There is a under served market for more affordable market rate housing in the City and the HBA intends on continuing partnering with the City to rebuild middle income neighborhoods to serve those markets."

Habitat for Humanity of Portage County	Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, Inc.
P.O. Box 306	1177 Rosemary Boulevard
Ravenna, OH 44266	Akron, OH 44306
P - 330-296-2880	P - 330-785-2700
F - 330-296-5263	F - 330-785-2704

Make-A-Wish, Making Wishes and Dreams Come True the Summer Parade of Homes has partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio & Kentucky to help raise money to grant wishes for children with serious illnesses. One room in each parade home is decorated in the theme of a granted wish.

National Rebuilding Day
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Contact Rebuilding Together to Volunteer!

Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April is a non-profit year-round program that helps to repair and rehabilitate the homes of low-income elderly and disabled homeowners so they may live with independence and dignity. Rebuilding Together does not construct new homes; it works with existing housing and combines volunteers from all walks of life and all faiths together to help eligible recipients' homes be more warm, safe, and dry. Rebuilding Together is part of a national organization and with more than 244 affiliates in all 50 states and is the largest home repair and renovation program in the country. The program began in Summit County in 1995 when community, government, civic, and religious leaders and private citizens recognized the need for additional resources to help those most in need in the community.

Since 1995, more than 6,500 volunteers have repaired more than 235 homes of elderly or disabled persons in Summit County. One hundred fifty-seven (157) of these homes are in the City of Akron, and 78 throughout the county. Business and organizations in Summit County have donated more than $1,000,000 to help the neighbors in their community. Rebuilding Together has received $345,000 in building supplies and professional services. All homeowners were over the age of 60, or disabled, and low-income. These individuals were identified by volunteers representing the major housing programs in Rebuilding Together. Homeowners are referred to Rebuilding Together through a variety of community organizations, county service agencies, synagogue, churches, and concerned citizens. Homes are selected through evaluation by local volunteer electricians, carpenters, plumbers, city and county building and health inspectors, Realtors, and community volunteers. This generous contribution of time reflects their commitment to the mission and work of Rebuilding Together.

Contact Information
Rebuilding Together Summit County
788 Donald Avenue
Akron, OH 44306
Phone: 330-773-4100
Fax: 330-773-4116
E-mail: rtinfo-sc@sbcglobal.net

     A first-of-its-kind teaching tool for middle and junior high school students, Building Homes of Our Own, combines math, science, social studies, English, and consumer science lessons into a dynamic, interactive simulation game available now on CD-ROM.
     This new game is complimentary to educators and members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a federation of 850 state and local builder associations across the country.
     Building Homes of Our Own takes students through the homebuilding process from A - Z. Students start by getting a construction loan, then select the building site, design a floor plan, choose building materials, construct the house, and then market and sell the home to a qualified buyer - encountering real-life challenges along the way.
     Students are faced with tough decisions, either playing as individuals or as part of a team, such as solving problems, staying on budget and finishing on time. All decisions will affect the final score and will determine if the home will be recognized as a blue ribbon property.
     NAHB developed Building Homes on Our Own as part of its ongoing educational initiative and in response to the growing need to provide technology-driven learning tools in our nation's classrooms. This innovative game was developed in partnership with the National Housing Endowment, Freddie Mac and the Fannie Mae Foundation.
     Building Homes of Our Own was designed with national content standards and will fit into pre-existing curricula for middle schools - supplementing and enhancing core classroom subjects. It comes with a comprehensive Teacher's Guide that contains sample lesson plans and additional activities that bring real-life context to the game.
     To arrange for a demonstration of Building Homes of Our Own at your school and find out how homebuilders and other building professionals can address your classroom, contact Mike Mennett at 330-869-6800.