Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity broke ground Thursday on its first mixed-income housing development, the largest single-site project in the nonprofit's history, WBAY reported.
The neighborhood, called Horizon Crossing, sits along Jacobsen Road in Fox Crossing and will include 39 market-rate homes and 17 zero-interest mortgage homes.
Who's building what
According to FOX 11, the site is along Jacobsen Road west of Irish Road in the village of Fox Crossing. The 39 market-rate homes will be built by Tom McHugh Construction, and the 17 zero-interest mortgage homes will be built by Fox Cities Habitat through its Homebuyer Program.
The layout puts no two Habitat homes next to each other, FOX 11 reports. In an earlier report announcing the project, WBAY said the neighborhood sits south of Highway 10 between Clayton Avenue and Irish Road, and that two of its main streets will be named Nienhaus Way and Meraki Way in recognition of the project's sponsors.
"There's enough homes being built that they'll be interspersed with the market rate homes, I think the concept of this development is great," Fox Crossing Village President Dale Youngquist told FOX 11. He said the homes are one of several developments underway in Fox Crossing to help the area grow.
Timeline and costs
Construction on the market-rate houses starts this fall, and work on the zero-interest mortgage homes is set for 2027, WBAY reports.
The land development will cost $2.5 million, according to FOX 11. Home construction costs aren't set yet. Work is being funded in part by donors Community First Credit Union and Mary Beth Nienhaus.
About half of the Habitat homes already have families selected to live in them. Habitat homeowners volunteer in the community, complete homeownership education hours and go through an application process to get a zero-interest mortgage with income-based payments, according to WBAY's earlier report.
Why Habitat is doing it
"There's such a tremendous shortage of affordable housing here in our community," said John Weyenberg, president and CEO of Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity. He said providing "the opportunity for 56 more families in our community to achieve that dream is something that is just one step in that long-term journey to ensure our community is stable for generations to come."
Weyenberg said homeownership helps families build equity in a way renting can't. "Rental properties are essential in our community, people need those as well, but with rental it's tough to build any equity," he told FOX 11. "Homeownership unlocks that opportunity to not only help the family immediately but for generations to come."
Tornado repairs
Weyenberg also gave an update on Habitat's "Tornado Rock the Block 100" initiative. The organization set a goal of repairing 100 tornado-damaged homes in the Fox Valley area by Christmas. WBAY reports the effort is 30 projects in, with applications still pouring in.
Why it matters for contractors
Horizon Crossing is a model worth paying attention to. Pairing a private builder with Habitat for Humanity lets a nonprofit stretch its resources further while giving a for-profit builder a ready-made subdivision to work in. For Tom McHugh Construction, it's 39 market-rate homes. For the trades, it's a steady pipeline of single-family work: excavation, foundations, framing, roofing, siding, windows, MEP and finishes for 56 homes over the next couple of years.
The $2.5 million land development budget points to a good amount of upfront site work, including streets, utilities and grading, before vertical construction ramps up. Site contractors and underground utility crews should take note.
The timing also matters. Market-rate homes start this fall, which means some foundation and framing work will run into the Wisconsin winter. The Habitat homes follow in 2027, adding a second wave of work.
Habitat's tornado repair program is another source of work in the Fox Valley. With 30 repairs done, a goal of 100 by Christmas and applications still coming in, there's plenty of roofing, siding, window and structural repair still to do. Contractors who want to help, whether through volunteering, donated labor or discounted materials, can reach out to Fox Cities Habitat.
Finally, Village President Youngquist's comment that Horizon Crossing is just one of several developments underway in Fox Crossing suggests the village is open for residential growth. That's good news for Fox Valley builders looking for their next project.