February 13th was an exciting day at the Canyons in Castle Pines. Just moments after the new homeowners completed a walkthrough of their gorgeous 3 bedroom, 3 ½ bathroom home that they’ll move into in March, a crowd gathered in their front driveway. They were there to celebrate the completion of the 2023 Inspiration House, which benefits the nonprofit Home Builders Foundation (HBF).
The Inspiration House is a fundraising initiative in which a Denver home builder and its trade base collaborate to raise funds through the sale of a newly constructed home. Shea Homes was the partnering home builder for the 2023 Inspiration House and chose the lot in The Canyons because of the supportive trades that were involved in the development. After breaking ground in May of 2023, Shea worked with their trade base to secure discounts and/or donated services and materials, as well as donations from suppliers, which significantly reduced the cost of the home build. As part of the Inspiration House initiative, proceeds from the sale of the completed home are donated to HBF. The house in The Canyons is the ninth Inspiration House to be completed since the program’s initiation in 2003 and was the most successful in recent history. A record-breaking 52 trades participated in the 2023 Inspiration House and generated one of the largest donations in the program’s history.
Following a photo shoot at the site of the Inspiration House, a large group gathered at The Exchange Coffee House to celebrate their amazing accomplishments. Chetter Latcham, president of Shea Homes Colorado, thanked everyone who participated in the Inspiration House. Explaining that he and many members of the Shea Homes team have partnered with HBF in the past to complete home modifications for individuals with long term physical disabilities, Latcham said that the Inspiration House brought joy to their team. “Knowing that what we could do in collaboration with all of you would make life better for so many people who face daily hardships inspired us all,” he shared. Devin Bundy, HBF’s 2022-2023 Board President, and Scott Czarnek, Shea Construction Manager and HBF Board Member, echoed Latcham’s sentiments and shared that process of working on the Inspiration House with Shea Homes team was seamless and rewarding.
Beth Forbes, HBF’s Executive Director, talked about the importance of the Inspiration House donation, stating, “Since 2020, applications for home modifications have increased on a monthly basis, as has the scope of the modifications requested. Due to rising home prices, many of our clients who are struggling with medical bills, an inability to work and expenses related to an illness or injury are being forced to stay in their existing homes and are requesting even more modifications to increase their safety and independence in that space.”
Shortly after Forbes spoke, Latcham presented HBF with a check for this year’s Inspiration House donation. Accepting the check with a huge smile on her face, Forbes thanked the attendees and shared that the donation will allow the nonprofit to build independence, enhance safety and elevate the lives of even more people with physical disabilities.