This spring, I was expecting to write an update about the final duplex building built by Habitat for Humanity in Lyons, 114 Park Street, and the families who will be purchasing the two homes and moving in soon. Then the COVID-19 coronavirus hit Colorado.
“We are very close to finishing up in Lyons, but COVID-19 has certainly interrupted us,” said Rebecca Shannon, Community Engagement Manager for Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley. She said that Habitat staff are continuing to work because construction and specifically construction of affordable housing is considered “essential.” “Fortunately, our own staff are able to keep building, even if we’re not comfortable hosting volunteers–especially with mostly indoor work.”
Although in the near term you can’t donate or shop at the Habitat ReStore in Longmont and you can’t volunteer to build in Lyons, you can still support Habitat with a financial donation on stvrainhabitat.org. If you click the Colorado Gives button on that website, under Donation Details, you can select Program and Lyons Park Street Development.
“Also, stay tuned for future volunteer opportunities,” said David Emerson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley. “Once things clear, we will need people.”
Since January 2018, volunteers–from Lyons and communities across the region–have been working weekends and weekdays on constructing three duplex buildings at 112, 114, and 116 Park Street. Applicants were selected to purchase each of the six homes by April 2018, and the process to make Habitat for Humanity homes a reality in Lyons started at least three years before that. The first duplex at 112 Park Street was completed in April 2019, and the second duplex at 116 Park Street was completed in August 2019. For background on how these homes at Second and Park Streets came about, see an archive of past columns. There is also a great photo feature from Sandy Spellman from last month’s Women Build event here in Lyons.
Building Habitat for Humanity to Lyons was a long road that started in 2014. The proposal for Second and Park Streets started in 2015, and we will be forever grateful to Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley for not giving up on affordable housing in the Town of Lyons.
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