4 walls make a home in Elmont

A rainy Saturday in November didn’t seem like the kind of day that would bring out volunteers for charity, but despite chilly temperatures and a threatening storm last weekend, the site of a local Habitat For Humanity house on Louis Avenue in Elmont drew volunteers from all over the area, who helped make sure a home-in-progress had all four walls before the day was over.

Just a few months ago, the lot at 25 Louis Ave. was an empty patch of grass. After a summer’s worth of work, however, it is now just months away from sporting a finished home. The Town of Hempstead, in conjunction with the Jamaica Square Improvement League and Habitat For Humanity of Nassau County, held its second building event — the first since a summer groundbreaking — to help put one lucky family under a roof in Elmont.

“It is gratifying to see so many volunteers working to transform this property into a wonderful new home,” Town Supervisor Kate Murray said. “Working with Habitat for Humanity in Nassau County has assisted us to meet our goal of providing more affordable housing for local residents. Now that this project is under way, it won’t be long before one family’s dream of owning a home will come true.”

Over the past four months, the hard work has been done by a dedicated team of volunteers, along with contractors and project managers for the county chapter of Habitat For Humanity, the nationwide charity founded by former President Jimmy Carter. The Louis Avenue site was selected after a consultation among the Town of Hempstead, Habitat for Humanity and the Jamaica Square Improvement League, the local civic association. It is located in a target area for renewal, which has been a focus of everyone from civic associations to representatives of state government.

For Jamaica Square, the site represents a step in the right direction. It is a commitment by the Town of Hempstead to put the area’s best foot forward, something association officials believe hasn’t always been the priority in the Hempstead Turnpike area, where the Louis Avenue home is.

“I think it’s a great start, but for right now it’s a drop in the bucket,” said Town Councilman Ed Ambrosino. “We need to bring a lot more attainable housing to Elmont.”