Habitat for Humanity is bringing together members of the Canadian military and local uniformed services to help build a family a new home in London.
The project known as the "Heroes for Humanity" build will see current and past members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Legion, RCMP, London Fire Department, London Police Service, EMS and local citizens build a home for the Brockett family. The build kicks off on Forbes St. on Saturday at 1pm.
"We picked Saturday because June 6 is the anniversary of D-Day," says Jeff Duncan, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario. "This is our 'Heroes' build and the military have a big part in it, and we just thought it was a good way to honour that."
The Brockett family qualified for the home by demonstrating a need for housing, the ability to pay a zero interest mortgage geared towards their income, and by completing 500 "sweat-equity" volunteer hours.
The new home on Forbes St. is expected to be completed in November 2015, and is the first home of 15 to be built on the land formerly occupied by Manor Park Elementary School.
Duncan says there is a huge need for this type of community build.
"(There are) thousands of families living, not only in London, but in the region, who live with housing security issues -- either inadequate or substandard housing, or housing they can't afford," he says.
Duncan says the Heroes for Humanity project will build the 15 homes over the course of the next three to four years.