TREB President's Column as it appears every Friday in the Toronto Sun’s Resale Homes and Condos section.

Charity begins and ends at Home

Toronto SUN Column (as it appears each Friday in the Toronto Sun)

July 16, 2010 -- From the Wright Brothers to Gilbert and Sullivan, throughout history business collaborations have worked to achieve great things.

In this spirit, the Toronto Real Estate Board and Habitat for Humanity Toronto have again teamed up to provide modest housing for local families who currently have substandard living conditions. 

TREB is sponsoring one of 29 town-home units to be built in September at 4572 Kingston Road, near Morningside Avenue.  Providing homes for 145 men, women and children, this site represents the 225th affordable home built by Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

At the build’s groundbreaking ceremonies, TREB’s partner family that was selected by Habitat for Humanity Toronto was in attendance. Merajuddin Matin expressed how much he, his wife and four children are looking forward to the completion of their new home.

“Right now our life is very difficult,” he said.  “We’re six people living in a small, two bedroom apartment.  A new home means a brighter future for our children.”

Greater Toronto REALTORS® understand that suitable housing is an important factor in everyone’s family life and therefore in our city’s future.. TREB is delighted to be working once again with Habitat for Humanity and able to contribute to affordable, quality housing in our city.

The build represents the fourth title sponsorship of seven builds to which TREB has contributed. Other TREB-sponsored homes were constructed in the King Street and Jameson Avenue area in 1999, in Scarborough’s McLevin Woods in 2004 and in Lakeshore Village in 2006.

Habitat for Humanity Toronto’s mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.

“We are truly grateful for all of the support that has helped us reach this milestone. Habitat Toronto is very excited to begin building our 225th home and continue working alongside our partners to build homes and changing the lives of families in our community,” said Habitat for Humanity Toronto’s Chief Executive Officer Neil Hetherington.

The Kingston Road development will also be the site of Habitat for Humanity Toronto’s ReTooling Blitz Build, a 6-day event, taking place September 20th through 25th in which 1,000 retirees and those approaching retirement from across North America will participate.

Since it was established in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has formed partnerships to build simple, decent, affordable homes with more than 1.75 million low-income families in more than 100 countries around the world.

Bill Johnston is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, a professional association that represents 30,000 REALTORS® in the Greater Toronto Area.  Follow TREB on www.twitter.com/TREB_Official, www.Facebook.com/TorontoRealEstateBoard and www.youtube.com/TREBChannel

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