After nearly a year of construction, the Fall River YouthBuild program held a press event on August 24, 2011 to mark the completion of its first house on a vacant lot at the corner of Rodman and Buffington Streets . The house is built to "Green Construction" standards and approximately 94 percent of the hot water and 50 percent of the heat for the home is proved by solar panels. The house is being offered through the Community Housing Resource Board which will select a qualified low-income tenant to purchase the house at today's very favorable rates that will approximate the cost of renting a similar sized unit. YouthBuild, run by the Old Colony YMCA, offers a ten-month construction skills training curriculum for men and women ages 17-24 who have not completed high school and has been in operation in Fall River since August of 2006. Click here for the Herald News article about the groundbreaking. Click here, here, here, and here to read more about the program. For more information, contact at 508-678-1975.
 

(Top row, left and center) Officials gather in front of the three bedroom house before Community Housing Resource Board chair Joe Roderick gathers everyone together. (Top row, right)  Tony Almeida, Lisa Schmiedl, Harold Denfeld and Paul Seidl gather for a group photo. (Middle row, left) Old Colony Y executive director Vincent Martuano congratulates the students and staff for their work on the project. (Middle row, right) Community Development Agency director Mike Dion and Mayor Flanagan point out the opportunity that the house will provide to a low income family who qualifies to purchase the house. (Bottom row, left) Niagara Neighborhood Association president Deno Bizaro suggests that more of these houses be built to help restore the neighborhood. (Bottom row, center) Representative Paul Schmid talks with contractor Tom Martin. (Bottom row, right) Mayor Flanagan goes on a tour of the house with next door neighbor Sonia Amaral..