Students get hands-on experience building affordable homes

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — In the next couple of years, two Columbus families will move into new affordable homes built by students from the Fort Hayes Career Center thanks to a new partnership between Habitat for Humanity Mid-Ohio and the City of Columbus.

Wednesday was the annual Building and Zoning Services Day at Fort Hayes for students involved in various trades and industry programs like heating and cooling and electrical.

The students had the opportunity to shadow and work alongside city employees in the building and zoning department.

The city has been offering this to students for a few years now, but its partnership with Habitat for Humanity is new. Leaders said not only does this help combat the affordable housing crisis shortage, but it also creates a great opportunity for students.

“So they will probably get to meet the families that will be buying these homes and moving into these homes,” Habitat for Humanity Mid-Ohio President Brandi Al-Issa said. “They’re going to get first-hand experience of not just building a house — they’re building what will be an affordable house.”

“A lot of these students forgo college and instead want to move directly into the workforce, and so this provides them an opportunity to actually partner and become a part of the team building and zoning,” Columbus Building and Zoning Services Director Scott Messer said.

The two homes will be built on city-owned lots located near the school’s campus, with construction of the first home expected to begin in the fall of 2025, with the second following in 2026.

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