History of the Home Builders Blitz
The concept of a building project that would involve custom home builders as volunteers to build homes with Habitat for Humanity began in Raleigh. In 2002, Habitat Wake board member Tom Gipson (Thomas Gipson Homes of Raleigh) organized a builders blitz -- a project to build homes in one week's time -- that has become a national model for partnership.
Throughout the U.S., the effort has built 661 homes in partnership with families living on modest incomes. Four years of Home Builder Blitzes in Wake County (2002, 2003, 2006 and 2008), have provided homes for 61 Habitat homeowners.
In 2002, twelve custom homebuilders partnered with Habitat Wake to build 12 Habitat homes in one week.
Habitat Wake and homebuilder partners employed the model again in 2003, resulting in 24 homes built in one week. Subsequently, Habitat for Humanity of International recognized Habitat Wake as the National Habitat Affiliate of the Year in 2004. This recognition was in large part due to the increase in housing production using the blitz model. Habitat International also realized that the Builders Blitz model could readily be replicated by other affiliates and hired staff in 2005 to manage the rollout of a national Home Builders Blitz in June 2006.
In 2006, custom homebuilders built 20 homes in Wake County in one week. With Habitat Wake as the model, 130 affiliates across the country built 440 -- the largest blitz in Habitat for Humanity's 30-year history. The number of Home Builders Blitz homes built was 8 percent of all Habitat homes built in 2006; the total value of the homes was in excess of $25 million.
In 2008, the 29 local builders who make up the Triangle Builders Guild built five homes.
Home Builders Blitz Through the Years
Home Builders Blitz 2008 ran May 31 - June 6, 2008.
Home Builders Blitz 2006 ran June 5 - June 9, 2006.
The Builders Blitz Model
The builders each donate a week of their time to oversee the building of one home and attended monthly one-hour planning meetings for a year. They also solicit their own subcontractors and suppliers to donate their labor and/or materials. Other building community partners-realtors, commercial builders, closing attorneys, building insurance companies, the NC Housing Finance Agency, and many others-have participated through cash contributions to help offset any shortfalls in material and service donations.
Prior to the build week, the build site is fully prepped and footings, foundations and driveways are installed. On Monday morning framing crews begin construction and by Friday at noon the houses are fully built and landscaped. Dedications vary. In 2002, the builders, sponsors, and families celebrated at a block party on Friday afternoon. In 2006, the neighborhood celebration included the reading of a poem from a homeowner and a buffet dinner from Golden Corral. We will dedicate the homes built this year in October.
