It’s a day Brandon Pollari has long dreamed about.
He and his family of five are moving into a newly renovated three-bedroom home, a result of the Sault District Social Services Board's affordable home ownership program.
“The kids are obviously excited,” Pollari said this week.
“Excited to have their own home to do their own little things to their rooms and stuff like that."
The first time home-owner home ownership was always his goal, but he didn't imagine it would come so soon.
“It’s a phenomenal feeling to be able to walk into a home and it’s affordable,” he said.
“It helps boost our family to be able to make our quality of life much better.”
The program brings in construction students with Ontario Works to renovate houses that have become run down. Social services board chair Luke Dufour came up with the idea. He said it’s been a huge success.
“We’ve had several students come, learn, work for a couple months and with the growth of the labour demand in the construction industry they’ve gotten some jobs pretty quickly,” Dufour said.
Roughly 40 students took part in the renovation and some visited the site to take in the finished product.
“It gives me a sense of self worth, accomplishment,” said Brian McIntomaui, one of the workers.
“Starting something off and watching the finish it off, it’s a good learning experience.”
This is the second house students have completed. Dufour said it benefits more than just the homeowners and workers.
“This house looks great,” he said.
“It’s one of the nicest looking houses on the block and hopefully that’s going to have an uplifting effect on other neighbours and other areas of the neighbourhood to encourage folks that this is a good place to invest.”
The Pollari family purchased their home for roughly $140,000. That money is now being used to purchase a house on London Street to be renovated for the next family.
