Habitat for Humanity’s 1st homes in Austin near completion 

A year ago, Habitat for Humanity Chicago broke ground on its first affordable homes in Austin. Now, the first houses are close to being finished.  

On Saturday, community leaders and volunteers helped put finishing touches on three homes on North Lockwood Avenue, assisting with cabinetry, painting and landscaping efforts. Families and staff from By The Hand Club For Kids after-school program worked alongside Courtney Brewer, a longtime Austin resident who will live in one of the Lockwood Avenue homes.  

The May construction came after over 500 women volunteered to help install roofs, windows and siding on the Lockwood homes in October.  

“It’s really about women coming together for other women,” Jennifer Parks, Habitat for Humanity Chicago’s executive director, previously told Austin Weekly News. “There are extraordinary gaps in women’s ability to purchase homes, and they’re denied at a greater rate than men in terms of loans. Obviously, there’s the pay gap that exists with women, and we have greater responsibilities and caregiving for our families. These challenges make it more complicated and harder for women to get to the point of being able to be homeowners.”  

After the three affordable houses on Lockwood are completed, Habitat For Humanity will move to constructing four more on Ferdinand Street, which are estimated to be completed next spring. All homes are two-story, 1,800-square-foot buildings with four bedrooms and detached two-car garages. 

The Cook County Land Bank Authority, which acquires vacant and abandoned properties and makes them available for organizations to purchase, worked with By The Hand Club For Kids to acquire seven properties. The after-school program bought the properties from the Cook County Land Bank Authority in 2024.