John Day Homes leads homeless shelter effort

John Day Homes of North Bend breaks ground at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, on the latest family shelter project by the Master Builders Care Foundation.

John Day is the lead construction agency on the foundation's newest HomeAid Shelter, located at 260 S.E. Andrews St. in Issaquah.

The HomeAid program creates partnerships to construct or renovate facilities that provide housing and assistance for the temporarily homeless. John Day Homes works with Compassion House, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide temporary housing and support services for homeless or nearly homeless families until they get back on their feet.

When completed in 2010, a new duplex will provide transitional housing and support for two families. John Day, the 2009 president of the Master Builders Association, volunteered the services of his company to facilitate construction.

“When this duplex is complete we’ll be able to house more homeless," said Compassion House president Tom Bilbro. "We’re seeing an increasing need, and we’re fortunate have the support of John Day Homes, Master Builders Association, a variety of cash donors and the City of Issaquah.”

Through the Master Builders Care Foundation, homebuilders have added 53 units for homeless and created more than 57,000 bednights per year in King and Snohomish counties. To date, more than 900 companies have contributed almost $8,000,000 in building expertise, labor and materials to house homeless women and children.

Day told the Valley Record that outreach efforts through the foundation provide builders with a tangible way to give back.

The contractor who takes part "knows where his time is going," Day said. "It's going to be in his community."

Buildings go up for about half their retail value, Day said.

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