Across five days in early February, team members from the Orlando division of K. Hovnanian Homes came together to build a new home for Anna Noguera, a single mother of three.

For the past six years, Noguera and her family had been living in a motel room. While she was saving up to get an apartment and buy her own furniture, most of her income inevitably went toward rent, groceries, and other necessities. This made it difficult for her to afford a more comfortable and sustainable living environment for her family.

Fortunately, Noguera was recently selected by the Greater Orlando and Osceola County chapter of Habitat for Humanity to own a brand-new single-family home at Arbor Bend, a newly developed neighborhood in Apopka, FL. Thanks to contributions from the Orange County Government, Noguera will be able to pay for her home’s mortgage payments with a zero-percent interest loan.

Being selected for this opportunity was no handout. Noguera applied for the chance to own a home through Habitat for Humanity over two years ago, and in the time since has spent over 200 hours volunteering with the non-profit and taken over 17 classes on homeownership. “It was so worth it to get us to where we’re standing right now,” Noguera told Orange TV.

The quick five-day build, which was a part of the 2019 Builders Blitz, featured K. Hovnanian Homes, Park Square Homes, PCL Construction and Pulte Homes, with each builder constructing one new home for a lucky owner.

To build an entire home in such a brief time frame – from foundation pouring all the way to appliance installation – was a feat of teamwork. Framers, electricians, low-voltage peddlers, and painters were all on the scene. In total, over 60 volunteers assisted with the process.

“It was definitely the quickest I’ve seen a home built,” said Jim Walton, a purchasing manager for K. Hovnanian Homes.

Walton, who coordinated with several home supply vendors, commented on these companies’ generosity for donating their materials and fixtures. Bathroom and kitchen faucets were provided by Moen. Kohler supplied state-of-the-art toilets. Mohawk Flooring donated tiling for the home. And Goodman Manufacturing offered their top-class air conditioning units.

Building a home in less than a week isn’t easy. But the hard work was for a great cause. “It was very gratifying,” said Walton, “especially once you saw Anna giving her wonderful speech, then receiving the keys to her new home.”

Last Updated on May 7, 2020