October 26, 2026 – WASHINGTON, N.J.
Habitat for Humanity Northwest New Jersey is proud to announce the completion of Franklin Village, three duplex modular homes that will house six qualified low to moderate income families. Habitat for Humanity NWNJ received a grant from the State of New Jersey and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) were the administrating agents for the grant. The homes are located at 2529-2539 Rt. 57 in Stewartsville, Franklin Township on the site of a former blighted property.
Franklin Village Partner Families
Krystal Wicks and her two sons Ace and Zane, Mark & Idania Birmingham, their son Matthias and daughter Isabella, Jessica Garnett and her daughter Erilyn, the Khan Family with their three children, Claire Sigafoos with her son Will, Juan Alfaro, his son Jaden and daughter Savana, will be the proud owners of these homes.
Krystal stated she saw the sign while driving home from church on Rt. 57 and knew she needed to apply. Prayers for stable housing were answered when she was chosen for one of the homes. Her two sons, Zane age 6 and Ace age 11 will now have a permanent place to call home and Krystal will be a first-time homeowner able to control her own destiny.
“God answered my prayers through this entire process”.
Mark & Idania Birmingham currently live in Bloomfield, NJ and found the application for Franklin Village on the New Jersey Housing website. The couple had applied for other homes through Habitat for Humanity in other parts of the state with no luck. Their two children, 8-year-old Matthias and 3-year-old Isabella, do not know about the move just yet.
“We are keeping it a secret for now, but we know they will love having their own rooms”.
Jessica Garnett and 9-year-old daughter Erilyn found the Facebook post advertising the home applications. They currently live in Phillipsburg with Jessica working three jobs while attending college at the same time. “There is a great deal of excitement in our world right now. Erilyn has a Pinterest board started with her vision of what she wants her bedroom to look like, and I will be graduating with my degree the end of December”.
The Khan’s and their 3 children are ready to move out of their cramped apartment and into a home where they will have a nice yard for the children to play outside and room inside to study. “My wife and I are most looking forward to having a stable home of our own and building our future in it as a family”. They have already completed the 200 hours per adult of sweat equity which is one of the requirements for homeownership. “We learned new skills, met amazing volunteers and gained a real sense of pride from helping build our own home and helping others with theirs”.
Juan Alfaro has a constant smile on his face! He and his two children, 16-year-old Savana and 15-year-old Jaden are ready to move. Juan learned about the Habitat for Humanity housing program while living in Florida several years ago and kept applying for a home. Once relocating back to New Jersey, he was made aware of the Franklin Village project and applied. He has been putting in sweat equity time at another Habitat for Humanity NWNJ home on Mine Hill Rd. in Washington Twp. and painting at Franklin Village. “I had some construction skills but have learned many more during this process. My son and I have also been volunteering at the ReStore to earn sweat equity hours. This is a dream come true. I want to build a good future for my kids and live in this home for a very long time”.
Claire Sigafoos and her 16-year-old son Will learned about the homes when passing by the property before any construction started. They saw the sign and after years of thinking about applying for the chance at a Habitat house, Claire knew now was the time. They have both completed their sweat equity hours at the ReStore sorting boutique items as the donations come in and plan to continue volunteering in the future. “Owning this home changes everything, this is ours. We are currently living with my parents and are ready to have a place to call our own. This is my own space, and I can do whatever I want with it! I can decorate each room to fit my style”. Claire’s son Will has already claimed the basement as his mancave!
There is a common thread to all six family stories; stability, security, and safety that comes with owning their own homes in a nice neighborhood with a good school district. This is only the beginning of very bright futures for each of them.
Habitat for Humanity Northwest New Jersey is a merged affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, International, combining the efforts of the Warren and Sussex County Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Having merged officially in 2025, they have served Sussex County since 1993 and Warren County since 1999. An accredited 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, Habitat’s mission is: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. You can learn more about Habitat NWNJ at habitatnwnj.org. #Habitat#HabitatforHumanityNWNJ
CONTACT:
Melanie Thiel
Public Relations Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Habitat for Humanity Northwest New Jersey
31 Belvidere Ave. Washington, NJ 07882
908-835-1300 x11
[email protected]
