Habitat dedication celebrates a major milestone on the road to homeownership

Pedro and Damaris are one step closer to their dream of homeownership. On a blustery December afternoon, the couple celebrated the completion of the construction phase at their new Holyoke home. Also in attendance were city officials, community leaders, representatives from Holyoke Housing Authority (HHA), and Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) staff, members from the Board of Directors, and volunteers.

Pedro (left) and his wife Damaris stand in front of their new Chestnut Street, Holyoke, home at the Dec. 22 dedication.

Unlike previous Greater Springfield Habitat builds, this one came together through a unique collaboration with Holyoke Housing Authority and the University of Massachusetts’ DesignBuild program. HHA donated a plot of land on Chestnut Street. GSHFH prepared the site and built the foundation. UMass DesignBuild professors and students designed and constructed the modular home, and oversaw delivery to the Holyoke site.

“This house is a testament to the very belief that this community values a collaboration between Greater ‘Holyoke’ Habitat for Humanity,” Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia said in jest, “Holyoke Housing Authority, a longtime agency in the city that has transformed neighborhoods, and UMass. The very neighborhood we’re standing in is a result from a cross trajectory of resources.”

Pedro and Damaris’s new home stands in the heart of Churchill Homes, a neighborhood reborn through a $15-million HOPE VI grant awarded to the Holyoke Housing Authority in 1996. What was once a neglected area has been thoughtfully transformed into a vibrant, family-centered community. Today, the neighborhood includes a mix of rental and homeownership opportunities, along with community centers that bring neighbors together.

Greater Springfield Habitat is proud to have contributed to this revitalization through earlier partnerships with the HHA by building a home at 365 Chestnut St. in 2013. GSHFH also built three additional homes adjacent to Pedro and Damaris’s. They were made possible through the Community Preservation Act (CPA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), funding during the COVID-19 pandemic to extend hope and stability during a time when it was needed most.

Pedro is a graduate of HHA’s self-sufficiency program. But when he finished the classwork, there were no available homes on the market.

“This project was really done as a way to help support their self-sufficiency program,” said Aimee Giroux, GSHFH executive director. “This allowed us to build a home specific to people, like Pedro, who were going through that program, which is a longtime commitment.”

Matt Mainville, HHA executive director, who once served as the Hope VI coordinator, agreed.

“We at the Housing Authority are always excited to see vacant parcels become homes, particularly at a time when there’s a huge demand in the Commonwealth for good housing,” he said. “… we also recognize housing resources are limited, dollars for development are hard to acquire. So, when we’re able to partner with Habitat, UMass, and the City, it’s always a recipe for success.” 

The 575-square-foot modular home accentuates energy efficiency through double studded walls, lots of insulation, triple-glazed windows, and all-electric Energy Star-rated appliances and air-source heat pumps.

The UMass DesignBuild team met with Pedro and Damaris in late winter 2025 to discuss design aspects specific to their needs. As a result, the house has a U-kitchen and interior stairs to the basement.

The DesignBuild team conceived the home in spring 2025. Construction began in summer and the home was delivered in mid-November.

“I’m very anxious and grateful for everything that I’ve accomplished. I feel honor and want to say ‘thank you’ to all of the board of directors of all the agencies, and I’m very grateful that I’m here with you today,” said Pedro through his interpreter Vivian Rodriguez, HHA Homeownership and Financial Education coordinator. “I hope to be successful in homeownership.”

Pedro and Damaris currently live in a one-bedroom apartment and have complained about their unfriendly neighbors who they say makes their everyday life unenjoyable. The couple doesn’t have children together, but have a large blended family. Pedro has two daughters from a previous relationship and seven grandchildren. Damaris has three children and five grandchildren.

The couple is expected to close on the house early in the New Year. To see more pictures and videos of the construction, visit habitatspringfield.org/holyoke