Habitat for Humanity Efforts in Central Arizona

​Habitat for Humanity has a vital role in Arizona, working to build and repair housing for families of limited means across the state. Speaking with Arizona PBS in January 2024, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona addressed his organization’s work in the Arizona Valley, with an emphasis on skills training.

The nonprofit regularly takes on volunteers who have no background in construction and provides them with hands-on training. Recently, Habitat took the future-focused step of creating a training center that includes mock buildings, an electrical and plumbing lab, and a computer lab and provides in-depth instruction on all aspects of the construction process.

As CEO Jason Barlow described it, an impetus for creating the center, beyond the need for more skilled Habitat volunteers, was the desire to address a deficit of human capital. As he put it, “Why don’t we actually try to fill the gap of missing construction workers in the Valley?” Attending the center’s opening in December, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs brought focus to the critical importance of increased job training in skilled trades region-wide.

Through completing the Construction In Training program, graduates earn OSHA 10 Training certification as well as National Center for Construction Education and Research certification. Furthermore, they gain access to local job placement opportunities. The nine- to 12-week program also presents a pathway toward a GED for those without high school degrees.

Another recent Habitat effort centered on a lasting partnership with the NCAA collegiate sports conference. More than 50 student-athletes at Arizona State participated in the NCAA-sponsored build in 2023, the fifth held nationwide since efforts were suspended during the pandemic.

Undertaken before the annual NCAA Convention, to be held in Phoenix, the work centered on a neighborhood in Tempe that is only minutes away from the Arizona State campus and where Habitat is already building a number of structures. The focus for student-athletes was on house framing, and they gained experience using hammers, nail guns, and saws as the day progressed. As one Sun Devils lacrosse player described it, the benefits of their efforts extend beyond helping a single family. ”Whether this is our hometown or not, we still are living here and playing here, and building these houses for all these people, they'll want to come back and support us, too."

A third initiative of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona focuses on ensuring that seniors across metro Phoenix are able to stay in their residences. The Aging in Place program involves volunteers retrofitting the interiors of existing homes that are in need of repairs or safety modifications. This starts with an assessment by a health or human services consultant, who gains insight into residents’ daily activities, from house cleaning to running errands, as well as their financial situation. A Habitat construction manager then undertakes an assessment focused on determining just what steps can be taken in repairing the home and making it more livable.

With the maximum spend per home $15,000, common modifications include ramps and rails, raised toilets, shower bars, and widened doorways. Volunteers also install locks that enhance security and replace aging water heaters and air conditioners. The end result is homes that better accommodate those of low income who have mobility issues and increased risk of slips and falls.

James W Murphy Tucson AZ

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