Building Community By Building Homes – The History of UC’s partnership with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity   

UC’s partnership with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity truly exemplifies the spirit of the UC|21 Academic Plan in placing students at the center of the university. After all, it was the idea of just one student that launched this university-wide partnership four years ago.

That’s when UC student Annie Fitzgerald returned to campus after a year’s leave from her studies while volunteering with Americorps. Annie was invited to return to her previous position as a student worker in the Center for Community Engagement. She agreed, with the caveat that CCE undertake a Habitat for Humanity project. Will Harris, then director of the Center for Community Engagement, presented the idea to Thomas Hadley, associate vice president for Student Affairs and Services, and Mitchel D. Livingston, vice president of Student Affairs and Services. The first all-University Habitat for Humanity project was born in 2003.

Through Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, UC was paired with Albert and Elaine Wernersbach, who donated the funding required for the first UC/Habitat house. Elaine Wernersbach had grown up on Winkler Street, the site for the construction. Both UC alums, Elaine and her husband spent several Saturdays working side-by-side with students to build the house for Sylvia Smith and her family. Sylvia’s family was chosen by Cincinnati Habitat, and dedicated more than 500 hours of “sweat equity” prior to moving into their new home.

In the first year alone, more than 200 students spent over 2,000 hours to build the house on Winkler Avenue. Students, faculty and staff from all colleges and departments worked together every Saturday from start of classes in the fall through early spring quarter. 

In 2004, UC’s Habitat for Humanity Steering Committee appealed to the UC Honors Program to help kick-start construction on the second UC/Cincinnati Habitat project, proposing two intensive “blitz weeks” of service-learning connected to the build. UC Field Service Instructor Beverly Brannan led the 20 incoming freshmen who signed up for a section of Freshman Honors English. The course required them to work at the site for five days in September prior to the start of classes. Students from the Cincinnati area commuted to campus for the first “blitz week,” while out-of-town students entered their residence halls early to work the second “blitz week.” College of Applied Science Professor George Sucharieh stepped forward to recruit construction science students to work with the freshmen to help frame the house exterior in these two weeks.

Mike Baseheart, a site coordinator for the first UC/Habitat project, and fellow Engineering Professor, Ken Roenker “adopted” the siding for the second home build, recruiting a team of engineering students.

The second all UC/ Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity home was also built on Winkler Avenue, for Sylvia Smith’s sister, UC employee Janie Cunningham and her family. Fifth Third bank helped to fund the project. The home was completed in the spring of 2005, the year Annie Fitzgerald, the student who envisioned this long-time partnership, graduated from the University of Cincinnati.

The third UC/ Habitat for Humanity build got underway on Haven Street in fall 2005. Funding for Megan O’Malley’s home was supported by Fifth Third Bank. Messer Construction also became a partner, supplying site coordinators for both of the blitz weeks as well as the many Saturdays of construction throughout the year. Megan O’Malley celebrated moving into her home in the spring of 2006.

Construction on UC’s fourth project with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity got underway just down the street from Megan O’Malley in fall of 2006.  UC graduate student Custodio Muianga, his wife, Edite, and their three small children, Maite, Edivale and Marla, all looked forward to completing their home in the spring. Muianga, a graduate student from Mozambique, had a full scholarship to UC while he earned his PhD in environmental safety and occupational hygiene. He said working with the UC student volunteers was a wonderful experience and a valuable learning experience as he participated in and studied the building of his own home. His UC research project focuses on controlling dust during construction. The Muianga family moved into their home in summer 2007.

In fall of 2007, the family of Simone Edwards, University of Cincinnati student volunteers, UC administrators and representatives of Messer Construction and Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity joined in the celebration of the latest effort to eradicate substandard housing in the city. Simone Edwards joined student volunteers as they built a fifth home in partnership with UC and Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, an association that symbolizes UC|21 efforts to forge key partnerships with the community. Her home was completed in the spring of 2008.

In 2008, UC took on a new challenge to develop an affordable home for a family with disabilities using universal design principles and "green" approaches in construction. Student designs were entered into a contest and one implemented and developed for Tyann Edwards and her son, Dwight Williams. Tyann was paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident and was the sixth UC/Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity home owner on Wolsely Drive in Avondale.

Six houses in six years....Now that's something to be proud of!  Stay tuned as the University of Cincinnati continues to support sustainable, affordable housing in the Uptown.

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