Starting in 1995, our Habitat affiliate was the first to approach community building with our South Ranch development of 195 homes. South Ranch now serves as a national model. The 40-acre parcel of raw land located in South Phoenix, near Southern and 16th Street, was turned into a thriving community with a park, homeowners association and a community center developed in partnership with the Stardust Foundation.
The land was donated to Habitat for Humanity by Chase (then Valley National Bank). In 1999, South Ranch won the City of Phoenix’s Community Improvement Award for community design and was again recognized in 2006 by the Arizona State University Stardust Center for Arizona Excellence in Affordable Housing.
Pueblo Futuro in El Mirage began in 1999. Habitat spent 8 years building out the 119-home single-family home community of three- and four-bedroom models and a park that includes pavilions, a large grassy area, basketball court and playground. Completed in April 2007, the community formed a homeowners association.
The Villas Esperanza community began in 2002 and was completed in June 2007. The 20-acre parcel of raw land located in South Phoenix, near Southern & 7th Avenue was developed to include 93 homes, a community with a park, basketball court and picnic pavilion and homeowners association. The land was donated by the Stardust Companies.
El Amor De Cristo, located in Peoria Arizona was completed in April 2008. The community features 17 single-family three- and four-bedroom homes. The homes are arranged around a central park and cul-de-sac. The community is governed by an HOA. This neighborhood was primarily built with volunteers and donations from the faith community.
In 2004 and 2005, Habitat built seven homes in the Capitol Mall neighborhood of downtown Phoenix, a designated Enterprise Community. “The Street That Faith Built” was the theme for this project. Various faith groups built the homes on lots donated by the Arizona Automobile Dealers Association.
Guadalupe, a one-square mile in area town, is home to 5,500 residents, between Phoenix and Tempe at the base of South Mountain. The majority of the residents earn $30,000 or less. The majority of the housing stock is 25 years old or older and blight is significant. The Biehn Colony Trust donated infill lots to Habitat for Humanity so that 25 simple, decent and affordable homes could be built for residents in need. Construction began in 2006 and the last home was completed in 2008.
The Ironwood Trails community began in 2006 and was completed in April 2009. Ironwood Trails is an 18 home cul-de-sac project in Apache Junction and is our first LEED certified community. Each of the 18 homes include a Salt River Project donated solar photovoltaic system, which reduce homeowners’ monthly energy bills by 45 percent and creates stored energy for shared usage.