Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley Blog

May 2026 Construction Update

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:16:29 GMT

Sequoia Grove, New Home Development - Hayward

April 2026 Construction Update

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:28:55 GMT

Sites Currently Under Construction

4th and Reed, Home Renovation - San Jose

We're still riding the positive vibes from our recent Home Celebration! Now, we're just buttoning up a few last items, with site clean-up and a bit of final electrical work. We can't wait to see the walls of this century-old building filled with new memories as homeowners move in!

40th Anniversary Dream Maker: Ava Community Energy

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:19:15 GMT

Building homes, communities, and hope these past 40 years has not been an easy feat and it’s one we couldn’t accomplish alone. That’s why we call our 40th anniversary sponsors Dream Makers – partners who have stepped up in a huge way to make this milestone year possible. Their investment in our community is what will keep us building for years to come. One partner that truly embodies the impact of this support is Ava Community Energy.

Meet Akhlilu

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:01:35 GMT

Akhlilu was starting to fear that his family's fate would follow that of so many of his friends — being forced out of California due to the high cost of housing. "The Bay Area is very expensive to live in," he says. "So, I was looking at moving to another state. But my family really loves living in California." Here, Akhlilu — along with his wife, Yordanos, their 10-year-old son, Hebron, and their toddler daughter, Mercy — enjoy being surrounded by family and friends, a career that Akhlilu loves and has worked hard to advance, and beautiful weather that reminds them of the East African climate they immigrated from years ago.

March 2026 Construction Update

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 05:16:58 GMT

Sites Currently Under Construction

4th and Reed, Home Renovation - San Jose

We are just checking off the last items on the punch list for this historic renovation! Volunteers have been supporting on completing the storage sheds in the backyard while finishing up some odds and ends on the interior. Soon, these homes will be ready to be filled with memories by their new homeowners!

Habitat Speaks Up at the Capitol

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 05:02:20 GMT

If you've had your eye on our social media stories recently, you know that we've been on the move, advocating for Habitat's legislative priorities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. In February, we took our case straight to our Capitols alongside fellow advocates from Habitat affiliates up and down the state and across the nation. These focused days of action — Advocacy Day in Sacramento and Habitat on the Hill in Washington — are intended to make a concentrated impact, lifting up affordable homeownership as a key issue for our policymakers across all the places Habitat serves. However, the real work of advocacy is in carrying the conversation forward. And that is where we need you, our community, to let your representatives know these issues matter to you.

February 2026 Construction Update

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:02:06 GMT

Sites Currently Under Construction

4th and Reed, Home Renovation - San Jose

We are down to some finishing touches on this four-home renovation in San Jose! There is some work under way to finalize details outside, from grading to garden sheds to gates. We are getting close to welcoming home Habitat's newest homeowners!

CalHome: Reward at Risk

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:57:22 GMT

Recently, Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley was honored to be awarded CalHome loans to build and repair affordable homes—from the last remaining funds in this program's coffers. These CalHome awards will be directly impactful and absolutely vital to the building of 48 new affordable homes, and the repair of many more. We're so grateful for these awards that will help make affordable homeownership a reality for so many. We know, first hand, how life-changing CalHome funding is—and why it's imperative that we save this program for the future. And with the Governor's recent budget proposal providing no funding for CalHome, it's at serious risk of closing the door on countless Californians still working to achieve and sustain homeownership.

January 2026 Construction Update

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:25:54 GMT

Sites Currently Under Construction

4th and Reed, Home Renovation - San Jose

It's a new year for this old building as we are nearly finished with all interior renovations! As the rains lift, our volunteers have been helping outside by working on trim, storage sheds, and decking. We'll be ready to celebrate this historic building's transformation for its future as four affordable, energy-efficient condos for local families. You can still help us out in this "home" stretch by signing up to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in San Jose!

Going Green: Meet Dave, Former Construction Director

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:12:58 GMT

"I have such fond memories of my Habitat days, stretching back to 1993 when for the first time I wandered onto the Build-A-Thon site on 105th in Oakland as a volunteer contractor," says Dave Sylvester. He remembers with a laugh how the site supervisors at the time, Paul and Roger, "handed me a yellow shirt and a set of plans, put me in charge of two new homeowners and 25 volunteers, and said, 'See you later!'" Thankfully, Dave was eager and willing to step into uncharted territory, and his Habitat story began. "What a day," he recalls. "The positive energy was palpable and infectious. I was hooked."