MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — If you live in Middletown, you might notice a new home in your neighborhood that wasn’t there yesterday.
It’s the first “modular build” by the Middlesex Habitat for Humanity.
The nonprofit calls it a significant milestone in its goal of bringing affordable housing and forever homes to the Connecticut community.
“When our homeowners are moving in, this is what’s running through their mind: there’s a sense of stability to their life that they may have not had before,” Sarah Bird, executive director, Middlesex Habitat for Humanity.
Bird says that stability starts with a frame and a hardworking crew.
"There is a drastic shortage of housing throughout the United States, throughout the state of Connecticut,” she said. “This is one house, but one house is going to make an impact one person, one family.”
Brandan Stefurak is the product of that impact.
“It completely changed the course of my life,” Stefurak said. “It is the greatest thing to happen to me and my family.”
In 2017, Brandon and his siblings got the gift of home.
“We’re a family of five children. I’m one of five and my mother,” he said. “She was raising us alone. We were in a two-bedroom apartment before this. To finally not share a room with three other people but to have my own room, eventually our own space, it was great. It improved my life so drastically.”
And now, the 23-year-old is paying it forward, working for the same organization that changed his teenage life.
“I want more people to experience this, especially when you come from something where it feels impossible, as if you’ll never leave the situation you’re in,” Stefurak said. “My mom owns a house now, which is amazing, so I want everyone to experience that.”
On Wednesday, Habitat’s Connecticut chapter broke ground on the "Brown Street Project" in Middletown, marking the first modular build for the area. It’s where the structure arrives largely assembled, and a team of professionals lock it in place.
“It cuts the construction time. It’s usually a nine to 12 month process. It cuts it down to three to four months,” Curtis Weybright, construction manager for Habitat for Humanity, said.
Advocates say this construction strategy delivers speed and savings for families in need.
Habit is working to select a family for this home.
If you’re interested or would like to nominate someone, visit here for a link to the application.
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Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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