HGTV hosts join Pinellas County Habitat for Humanity neighborhood build

HGTV helps a local family build their new home

HGTV and Pinellas County Habitat for Humanity join forces to help a family build their new home. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy brings us the story. 

LEALMAN, Fla - A community project brought out television stars and corporate volunteers Thursday to help a Pinellas County woman build her future home. Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, hosts of the HGTV series "100 Day Dream Home," partnered with PGT Custom Windows and Doors to build the house in the Lealman area. 

Pinellas County community build

What we know:

Volunteers came together at a Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside job site to construct a home for a local woman who helps residents access health care. The build is part of a concentrated neighborhood transformation initiative where teams are building multiple homes simultaneously. HGTV hosts Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt volunteered alongside workers from PGT Custom Windows and Doors to outfit the structure with specialized windows and doors designed to withstand heavy winds, UV rays, and outside noise. 

Family housing requirements

By the numbers:

Habitat homeowner candidates must earn between 30 and 80 percent of the area's median income to qualify for the program. Selected families must demonstrate a clear need for adequate shelter and show the financial ability to pay back a zero-interest loan. Additionally, candidates must complete a comprehensive homebuyer education curriculum and commit to investing between 350 and 450 sweat equity hours into the project. 

Volunteers stand inside a house frame during a Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside neighborhood transformation project in the Lealman area, where corporate partner PGT Custom Windows and Doors assisted with construction.

Safe home designs

What they're saying:

"I've actually been working with Habitat all the way back in college is when I started," Brian Kleinschmidt said. "To see neighborhoods like this being transformed and to be a part of it is really special". He noted that durable windows and doors are structural necessities due to recent storms. Mika Kleinschmidt emphasized security, saying, "We want to make sure the homes are secure and safe. It's not all about the pretty design, even though that's what I love about new construction. But these homes are going to turn out beautiful, and the families are going to have many, many happy memories". 

Local construction timeline

What we don't know:

The provided details do not state the exact number of total homes being built during this specific neighborhood transformation project. It is also unconfirmed how many total volunteer hours will be required to finish this specific house before the fall move-in window.