Habitat for Humanity volunteers continue Carter’s legacy on 100th birthday
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On St. Paul’s East Side, the former Hillcrest Golf Course will soon transform into a new neighborhood.
The foundation is laid, and walls are going up for the 147 homes to be built over the next several years. Thousands of volunteers with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity are helping to make it happen.
The project includes a mix of single-family homes, town homes, duplexes and more.
LeAndra Estis is a mom of three who first moved into her habitat home five years ago. Today, she’s an advocate and volunteer for the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
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“We actually built our home, me and my children, and we painted the walls and we cut in those windows, similar to what we’re doing out here today,” Estis said.
The homes include solar rooftop shingles, all-electric appliances and sustainable construction materials.
State lawmakers were invited to help build homes on former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday — the Carter's spent years advocating for affordable housing.
Rep. Michael Howard, DFL-Richfield, was among lawmakers who volunteered on the construction site.
“We've done this for a number of years, and you really sense some camaraderie and some common ground. You know, housing really shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” Howard said.
Howard also addressed a bill he sponsored last year: a $1 billion investment in housing.
A recent report from the Minnesota Housing Partnership found the home ownership rate for white households is 74 percent, compared to about 30 percent for Black households.
According to Habitat for Humanity officials, the Carters worked alongside more than 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair close to 5,000 homes.
Cathy Lawrence is chief of staff at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Carter project lead. She said the Carters are leaving a legacy of service the organization will continue to build on.
“I think a lot more people understand today that housing should be a human right, and that homeownership is a real game changer for people and because he was willing to give his time and energy to habitat, our issues were raised even further,” Lawrence said.
It’s those efforts that gave Estis the opportunity to become a homeowner.
Estis said the home she helped build allowed her space to not just live, but also thrive. She wants other families to know her reality can be theirs too.
“My home, it has absolutely built me. Character, value. You could put somebody in a home, but that does not mean they know their full potential,” Estis said.
Habitat for Humanity officials say 30 homes should be complete by next spring.
