Habitat for Humanity Walk Spotlights Affordable Housing Need

When Habitat for Humanity supporters gather at the Church of St. Augustine in Larchmont on Sunday, they'll be doing more than raising money if Jim Killoran has any say.

The 10th annual fall Walk-for-Homes is a "clarion call to create real, affordable housing across this county," said Killoran, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester. "This is the most important walk yet."

Killoran has watched the need for Habitat's services grow since the nonprofit built its first home in Larchmont in 1988. A poor economy, the housing crisis, and two natural disasters since late August have created a more vulnerable Westchester.

"When we started, people thought we were crazy," said Killoran in a phone interview with Patch on Saturday afternoon. He had just returned from a home-building project in Somers with partner IBM. "We can’t take anything for granted."

Today, more than 250 Habitat for Humanity projects have been completed in Westchester County, including one with home improvement guru Bob Villa in 1998. This year Habitat will celebrate the mortgage payoff of that first home in Larchmont. And the group has won awards for green building and is working on a zero-energy house in Yonkers. 

"Saving families utilities could mean the difference between a mortgage payment, a tax payment or a foreclosure," said Killoran.

As need has grown, so has volunteerism. Three times as many people volunteer today as they did before 9/11. Approximately 500 people participated in a 9/11 build-a-thon this year and weekends see as many as 200 volunteers at a site. Retirees and companies fill the ranks weekdays and college students and high schoolers lend their time throughout the year.  

"Volunteerism is an answer to stabilizing neighborhoods," said Killoran, who noted the commitment Habitat for Humanity has made in redeveloping Yonkers' Ashburton Avenue Corridor, its biggest neighborhood revitalization effort yet.

It was volunteer Anne Avenius, 66, who brought Habitat for Humanity and St. Augustine's together for the walk a decade ago through the church's Christian Social Action Committee. Avenius has volunteered with Habitat for 15 years and watched members of her own congregation increasingly seek the nonprofit's help and add their names to housing lists. "People don't have the ware withal to do it on their own," said Avenius. 

Killoran calls the participation of religious groups the "theology of the hammer" and believes the example set by St. Augustine can inspire area synagogues, mosques and churches to help. 

On Monday, Killoran leaves for Haiti to join President Carter and Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for four days. Before then, he hopes the walk-a-thon will promote the creation of "a patchwork quilt of not just large, beautiful homes, but small, green, affordable homes" in Westchester.

Habitat for Humanity's annual fall Walk-for-Homes takes place Sunday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. Participants meet at St. Augustine's Church in Larchmont for an approximately 2-mile walk down Larchmont Ave. to Manor Park and back. One-hundred percent of funds raised will go to local projects.