Home Renovations 

Since 2000, Habitat Bermuda has completed more than 200 projects and helped more than 450 families improve their quality of life through more adequate and secure housing. Our largest project to date completed in 2021 was the Transformational Living Center which now housese 10 formerly homeless families. Following that in 2023 Habitat completed a record 24 projects. These were primarily small home renovation projects. 

 

Examples of some of our projects include:

 

1. The Gilbert Project was a home of a middle-aged woman who was finding it impossible to make monthly mortgage payments without the support of her family. Previously, two of her brothers were living with her and assisting with payments but with one currently at MAWI and the other having passed away, Ms. G could not make ends meet. She requested the help of Habitat to renovate the lower two bedrooms apartment so that she could have additional income. Without the added revenue, the bank would have repossessed the home due to the accumulated debt.

 

2. The Tribe Road Project was the home of an elderly woman who was looking to make the house more stable. Cracks in the baseboards, flooring and broken windows were the main safety concerns that were addressed by Habitat.

 

3. The Orchard Lane Project (St. Monica’s Road area) involved the home of a mother and (at the time) pregnant daughter who live in an area affected by the escalating gang violence. With a new baby on the way, the home was in need of repairs to ensure the security of the property. The Windows, flooring and ceiling all needed repairs and extensive electrical work needed to be done. In addition, a new front door was needed as there was a gun shot in the current fixture.

 

4. The Radnor Drive Project built a ramp from the interior to the exterior of the home of a disabled gentleman. The construction of the 15-foot ramp enabled the wheel-chair bound man to gain back his ability to enter and exit the home without assistance. Previously, he needed to be assisted by another individual, which severely limited his mobility and independence.

 

5. The Westdale Lane Project aided a young couple expecting their first baby who were already undertaking floor repair work at their own expense when the tank below the flooring caved in. The couple was unable to afford to fix the caved in tank in addition to completing the flooring work. Habitat assisting in repairing the tank so the couple could continue their work on the flooring so that it would be completed before the birth of their child.

 

6. The Zurich Project involved a multi-generational home which housed an elderly gentleman, his daughter and her son. The family had struggled to maintain the 50-year-old residence which became more difficult recently as both the daughter and her son struggled to obtain employment due to the economic climate. Consequently, the home was in very poor condition. In partnership with Zurich Re, Habitat completed extensive electrical, plumbing and masonry renovations throughout the entire residence and repaired the home’s roof and tank so that the family gained back running water which they had not had for over a year.

 

7. The Underhill Crescent Project involved the Pembroke residence of a grandmother, her two daughters and son as well as her two grandchildren whose aging home with unfinished construction had become insecure and unsafe for the young grandchildren. The grandmother was diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago and the children struggled to maintain their residence while also caring for their mother. Habitat repaired the home’s leaking roof, completed the unfinished bathroom facilities and repaired electrical and plumbing problems.

 

8. The Kitty’s Drive Project included various repairs in the home of a young struggling single mother. A broken (and insecure) sliding glass door was replaced, the water pump was repaired and minor plumbing work in the bathroom was addressed.

 

9. The Elbow Project involved the home of a mother and her 3 young children. The flooring was unsafe for small children and the front door did not lock. The floors were tiled throughout the apartment and the front door was fixed so that it was secure. Minor electrical work was also done.

 

10. The Pembroke Hill Project involved the renovation and repair of the home of a single mother and her 3 dependents. The project involved renovations that would allow the 9-year-old girl to move out of the closet that she was occupying and into a bedroom. Other repairs to the house included the replacement of all windows and doors to ensure their safety and security and the transformation of an outdoor shed into a laundry facility.

 

11. The Spanish Point Project was the home of a family whose children were removed by the Department of Child and Family Services. The apartment was cleared extensively of rubbish, new flooring was laid throughout and the bathroom and kitchen were repaired so that the home would return to conditions suitable for children. This included replacing cabinets and countertop as well as repairing bathroom plumbing.

 

12. The Warwick Project involved an inherited Warwick Family home of a mother and two daughters which was renovated to address its hazardous pre-existing conditions. Major flooring and electrical work was completed.

 

13. The completion of a home in Paget whose owners ran into financial difficulties and were unable to complete construction. Habitat assisted with plastering as well as with interior and exterior painting.

 

These are just a few examples of our smaller projects.

 

14. The home of an elderly couple in Prospect was refurbished, repairing a badly damaged roof, broken windows and doors as well as a collapsed ceiling. The renovations helped to re-secure the residence of the couple.