Habitat for Humanity to build at least 10 houses in annual Blitz

Building a dozen houses in one week is an interesting experience, according to Charles Moore, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham.

“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s exciting. It’s stressful.”

Habitat will take on the challenge again during its annual Birmingham Habitat Home Builders Blitz on Oct. 12-19. The nonprofit will build 10 or more houses in Phase 2 of its Cascade Parc development, on the site of the old Cascade Plunge swimming facility in East Lake, according to Moore.

Habitat has recruited eight to 10 homebuilders to work at the Blitz, each of them supervising a house and bringing in subcontractors, Moore said. Habitat will supervise two of the builds, and about 800 to 1,000 volunteers will participate.

Most of the homes will be three-bedroom, two-bath Craftsman-style houses priced at about $100,000-$115,000.

“Our mission is to provide affordable housing,” Moore said. “We don’t give them away. Each family has a mortgage, but we sell them at cost with zero-percent interest.”

In phase one in 2016, Habitat built 13 homes at Cascade Parc. There will likely be a third phase, according to Moore, who said little housing has been built in East Lake for 50 years.

Blitz workdays are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m, except Sundays. To volunteer, call 780-1234 or go to habitatbirmingham.org.