Choptank Habitat For Humanity Building Neighborhood in Cambridge

(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – Choptank Habitat for Humanity and their volunteers are hard at work turning land on Camper Street in Cambridge into a brand new neighborhood, one that’s going to create up to a dozen new home owners.

We got a chance to meet with some of Choptank Habitat’s leadership at the construction site, where four of those twelve homes are under construction.

It’s all part of their home ownership program to help low-income families become buyers.

Habitat Chief Development Officer, Jenny Schmidt walked us through the process.

She says, “People always think that we give these houses away. We do not give them away. The homeowner is going through our program, have to put in 200 hours of sweat equity. They have to save money for closing costs and then they take out a mortgage. This is their house.”

Habitat for Humanity is planning to have all twelve of these houses under construction throughout the year.

For a volunteer like Frank Dorian, being able to lend a hand to families in need of a fresh start is exactly why habitat is building a neighborhood in Cambridge in the first place.

“This isn’t a handout. This is a hand up. We reach out; we hopefully help these people get on their own two feet. And when they get on their own two feet and stand on their own two feet, they get to a place where they can help others as well,” says Frank.

And as they work to create a neighborhood housing at least a couple dozen people,

The impact of the work being done now can have an impact not just on Camper Street, but all over Cambridge.

Choptank Habitat’s CEO, JoAnne Hansen tells WMDT, “The impact of a neighborhood like this, creating healthy homes as well as a stabilized environment, just expands the world of possibilities for children and families in terms of housing, health, employment…”

Choptank Habitat for Humanity says they hope to have all of the houses built, sold, and occupied by October of 2027.