Building Homes and Hope

Since 1992, thanks to volunteer labor and financial support from individuals, businesses, community groups, faith-based organizations, and foundations, empowerment through homeownership has become a reality for 54 hard working families.  While Habitat affiliates are known for their construction of simple, decent and affordable homes, that mission has grown today to include the construction of sustainably built energy efficient homes.  This expanded approach provides our low-income home buyers with mortgage payments they can affordable - typically $450/month or less including their escrow for property taxes and home owner's insurance, low-cost monthly utility bills, lower long-term maintenance costs.

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Current Building Sites

Construction on 31 Clay Street, Easton (click on address for map)

Milestone on Clay is Habitat Choptank's first multi-unit development.  When completed, the project will include 6 low-income Habitat homes and 4 moderate income homes.  The project is a non-profit joint venture with Elm Street Development for which Habitat Choptank serves as the contractor and provides all of the labor. 

Build Days: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays

Milestone on Clay Street Photo Album

Created by Thursday crew volunteer Neil Armstrong.

Construction at 439 High Street, Cambridge

Our sixth Dorchester County project is underway.  This single family house is part of our partnership with the City of Cambridge..

Build Days: Wednesdays and Saturdays

Renovation at 245 North Street, St. Michaels

Work is underway on updates and improvements to this single family home.  The scope of this project includes energy efficiency upgrades and interior and exterior remodeling.

Build Days: Tuesdays and the 3rd Saturday of each month.

Site Work at 233 Port Street, Easton

Site work is underway for our next multi-family project.  This property has been subdivided to provide homes for five families - two of whom are already in our partnership program working through the multi-step process toward home ownership

Recently Completed at 210 Brooks Lane, St. Michaels

The site of the St. Michaels Faith Build, a partnership between Habitat Choptank and three St. Michaels churches - Christ Church-St. Michael's Parish, St. Lukes United Methodist, and Union United Methodist - to build a LEED-certified single family home for a local working family. The churches will provide much of the volunteer labor and are raising funds to cover the $75,000 construction costs.  Habitat Choptank will purchase the lot and provide overall construction supervision. 

Click here to see pictures from the Whitehead family's dedication celebration. (photos by Tim Poly)

Recently Completed at 703 Wright Street, Cambridge

The City of Cambridge, through its Economic Development Office, has received grant funding from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to build at least three green single family homes in the Maple Street area.  Habitat Choptank is partnering with the city on this project with the first home completed in July 2011.  The city provided the land for the Wright Street home and Habitat provided the construction management along with the volunteers for building.

Click here to see pictures from the Rochester family's dedication celebration. (photos by Tim Poly)

Recently Completed at 504 Edgewood Avenue in Cambridge

This single family home is Habitat Choptank's first home built to meet LEED for homes standards.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) represents the hightest standards in sustainable building. 

Click here to see pictures from the Lake family's home dedication celebration.

Future Construction Sites

• 707 Wright Street, Cambridge
• 701 High Street, Cambridge
• 734 High Street, Cambridge
• 510 Edgewood Avenue, Cambridge
• 34, 35 and 36 Locust Street in Easton
• 308 and 310 South Street, Easton
• Brooks Lane,St. Michaels

Completed Habitat Home Sites

The 54 homes constructed to date have been sold to Habitat home owners in Cambridge, Easton, St. Michaels, Bellevue, Unionville, Royal Oak, and Cordova at no profit with interest-free mortgages.

Land acquisition To build 25 homes over the next five years, Habitat Choptank must maintain a land bank so that as one project finishes, construction can move forward on the next.  If you or someone you know, has land they wish to sell or donate, please email us or call 410-476-3204.

The 'Greening' of the Habitat Mission

A Lesson in Sustainable Building  - ICF Foundation for 504 Edgewood Avenue

Volunteers working at Edgewood Avenue install the Insulating Concrete. ICFs are rigid plastic foam forms that hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place afterwards to serve as thermal insulation for concrete walls. The foam sections (interior image on the right) are lightweight and result in energy-efficient, durable construction.

With the walls braced, volunteers begin working the concrete as the foundation is poured at 504 Edgewood Avenue. 

A tired volunteer crew - but the foundation is in and the day's work created only two bags of waste and a small pile of recycling.

Green/Sustainable Building PDFs

504 Edgewood Plat

LL5 Community Resources/Transit

MR 2 Environmentally Preferred Products

MR 3 Waste Management

WE 3 Indoor Water Use