| All female construction crew addresses affordable housing crisis |
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Women partners and sponsors join the construction crew June 30
Contact: Sharon Rolenc
(MINNEAPOLIS, MN – June 23 2006) — The image of a woman swinging a
hammer on a construction site is not a common one, let alone the sight
of multiple women building together. Women are historically
underrepresented in the construction business. Only 1 percent of women
in the U.S. workforce participate in the construction trade. According
to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Labor, of the 9,145 people
age 16 and over employed in construction, 274 were women, comprising 3
percent of the total workforce.
One special project sponsored by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH)addresses this workforce reality this summer, while also responding to the need for affordable housing. WomenBuild provides the opportunity for women to participate in all aspects of home construction in a supportive, empowering environment. The planning and building of the WomenBuild home is done by all-women volunteers. The home is assigned a female site supervisor for the duration of the project who is currently on staff at TCHFH. This year’s site supervisor is Terra Lumley. She is knowledgeable and experienced in all phases of home construction and in leading volunteer groups through the building process. Lumley directs and oversees the work, ensuring that quality is maintained, safety is observed, and volunteers are engaged in the construction process. This year’s WomenBuild takes place at the historic Ripley Gardens development in the Harrison neighborhood in North Minneapolis, on the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Queen Avenue North. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity will be building 8 homes—one triplex and one five-plex. As a designated 2006 WomenBuild site, one of the triplex homes at Ripley Gardens will provide women from all backgrounds an opportunity to join together and actively work to solve the affordable housing crisis. The need is considerable. Each year, TCHFH is only able to serve one in ten eligible families who apply for Habitat homes. When complete, the project at Ripley Gardens will mark the 10th WomenBuild home completed by TCHFH. WomenBuild 2006 is a project of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with WomenVenture, a St. Paul nonprofit economic development agency that helps women start and grow their own businesses, make successful career changes and gain financial literacy skills. Participants from WomenVenture's Jobs in the Trades program will be at Ripley learning construction throughout the build this summer. Andersen Corporation and Ryland Homes are primary house sponsors for the project. Lowe’s is the national sponsor of WomenBuild, a nationwide initiative of Habitat for Humanity International. The morning of June 30, WomenBuild partners and sponsors are joining the construction crew in a special build day. Women in attendance will include Susan Haigh, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity president; Amy Brenegen, Director of the Workforce Development for WomenVenture; Sarah Andersen, board member for the Andersen Corporation; Leslie Frécon, board member for the Ryland Group, advisory board member for WomenVenture and CEO of LFE Capital; Lynn Casey, CEO of Padilla Speer Beardsley; Trisha Hegle, Design Center Manager for Ryland Homes; Melissa Johnson, Department Manager for Lowe's; and Sondra Hollinger Samuels, President of the Peace Foundation, and wife of Don Samuels, City Councilmember for the ward. “We are blessed to have the involvement of so many dedicated business women, and so many sponsors committed to providing an empowering construction environment for WomenBuild this year,” said Susan Haigh, president of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. “It’s fitting that the project is located at the historic site named for Martha Ripley, a true innovator who not only significantly improved medical practice at the turn of the century, but also advanced the cause of women’s rights in this country.” Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Ripley Gardens is home to three historic structures: a Tudor cottage, a bungalow, and the centerpiece of the project—the former Martha G. Ripley maternity hospital. The site is named in honor of Martha Ripley, one of the first female doctors in this country and founder of the Maternity Hospital. As part of the American Woman Suffrage Association, Ripley worked alongside Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell in an effort to gain the right for women to vote. Upon arriving in Minnesota in 1883, Ripley was elected President of the Women’s Suffrage Association. The Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) will redevelop the buildings on the site, creating 52 affordable rental units, alongside Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity who will build 8 affordable homes. Ripley Gardens is a featured development this year on HGTV’s Restore America. About Twin Cities Habitat for HumanityThe mission of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing from the Twin Cities and to make decent, affordable shelter for all people a matter of conscience. Volunteer labor, donated materials and contributed funds are used to build and renovate homes in the Twin Cities area. Working under the faith-based principle that no profit should be gained from assisting those in need, Habitat for Humanity charges no interest on the mortgages that it issues to homebuyers. Families who purchase Habitat homes are selected based on need, ability to repay the zero percent mortgage, and willingness to partner. Families put in 300–500 hours of sweat equity helping to build Habitat homes. Since 1985, TCHFH has built more than 600 homes in the seven-county metro area and engages more than 20,000 volunteers a year. |
