The First Homebuyers Close at The Heights

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is celebrating a major milestone at The Heights: the very first Habitat homebuyers have officially closed on their homes and have started to settle in to this new community!

After years of visioning, planning, and construction, families are now turning the keys in their own front doors, marking the start of a new chapter for both the residents and this transformational development on St. Paul’s Greater East Side.

Marielle, pictured above, is the first Habitat homebuyer to close at The Heights. She and her four-year-old son closed and moved in on the same day, just a week before Thanksgiving. Her son is so excited that he invites everyone he meets to come over for a sleepover. Marielle, who works as a financial counselor, is thrilled. She applied to Habitat’s homeownership program earlier this year and found The Heights to be a great fit for her situation. Now, just a few months later, she and her son are celebrating the holidays in their own home.

The Heights has been in the works for a long time. Formerly the Hillcrest Golf Course, the 112-acre site sat unused for years until the City of Saint Paul, community leaders, developers, and local partners came together around a shared vision: to turn the space into a thriving, mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood. When complete, The Heights will include more than 1,000 new housing units, parks and green space, retail areas, trails, and sustainable infrastructure.

Twin Cities Habitat is proud to be one of the major housing partners in this development. Since October 2024, volunteers, staff, and AmeriCorps members have been hard at work building the first phase of 147 affordable Habitat homes that will offer stability and opportunity for local families. These homes will allow more families to put down roots in St. Paul, build equity, and create a brighter future for the next generation.

Reaching the moment where homebuyers are moving in is more than just the completion of construction on a few houses. It’s proof of what’s possible when community members, donors, and partners invest in long-term, affordable homeownership solutions. Every volunteer hour, every hammer swung, and every gift from supporters helped turn this once-vacant land into a place where families can grow, thrive, and dream.

For the first homeowners at The Heights, this milestone represents so much more than a new address. It’s the start of a safe, stable foundation where their children can play outside, where neighbors will get to know one another, and where a community built on hope and opportunity can flourish.

And this is only the beginning. More Habitat homes at The Heights are under construction, and many more families will move in in the new year. As we celebrate this exciting moment, we’re filled with gratitude for everyone who has believed in this work and helped make it possible. Thank you for building forward together and for helping create a future where more families can experience the life-changing power of homeownership.

• If you want to learn more about The Heights development, the history, the community partners, and development details, click here. 
  
  
• If you're interested in purchasing a home at The Heights, click here.