On a warm, overcast day in Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood, a dozen teenagers rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
They're helping build six homes this summer, with four more to come on East 143rd Street next year.
It's part of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cleveland's Building Great Futures program, which kicked off its eighth year on Tuesday.
"One day, I want to build my own house, have my own land. So hopefully I pick up a lot of stuff from this program, which I am," said 18-year-old DeMarcus Carey of Collinwood.
The funding is made possible, in part, by the City of Cleveland's $5 million allocation from its American Rescue Plan Act stimulus package.
President and CEO John Litten calls the program a "win-win-win" for providing housing, economic development to the Southeast Side and youth workforce opportunities.
"16- to 18-year-olds from the neighborhood who want to be here and have volunteered for the program themselves are actually paid to work in construction for the summer and learn the trades and learn what it takes to work in construction," Litten said.
Through a partnership with Youth Opportunity Unlimited, 80 teens have benefitted from the program over the last decade, one of whom has been hired by Habitat for a full-time position.
The annual program is part of Habitat’s larger initiative to build, repair or revitalize 400 homes in Greater Cleveland by 2027.
Habitat is focusing heavily on the Southeast Side, aligning with Mayor Justin Bibb's economy development strategy in those neighborhoods. Habitat has invested nearly $15 million in the last five years into nearby Buckeye-Woodhill to revitalize an area hollowed out by redlining.
