ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity is in the middle of working on six new homes in the San Jose neighborhood in Southeast Albuquerque. It’s giving one homeowner the chance to achieve a life-long dream that will last for generations.

Keke Hodges is just a few months away from moving into her very first home. Her home is one of the six being built in the San Jose neighborhood. “I wanted to open up a new chapter in my life and I thought about Habitat before,” said Hodges.

It’s all thanks to nearly a dozen partners working alongside Habitat for Humanity to not only better the area but also to help people for generations to come. “It makes me feel really good, it makes me feel proud that I am able to leave something behind when I’m gone,” said Hodges.

These homes are being made a little differently. “You’re used to hammering nails into stick framing construction and that’s the default,” said Gregg Lewis, NMRCA.

Each home will be made out of insulated concrete to be more sustainable and help keep costs low once Keke and her family move in. “For the families that are going to benefit from these really resilient really energy efficient homes,” said Lewis.

Allowing Keke to fulfill a lifelong dream. “I thought it was a little bit too late for me, you know. I’ve been in the same apartment for the last five years in Old Town and I had to remodel my whole apartment to try and make it feel like a home,” said Hodges.

After a thorough application process, Keke was approved to get a new home from Habitat for Humanity, something she believes wouldn’t have been possible without hard work and determination. “When you do the footwork, there’s lots of opportunities out here in Albuquerque, New Mexico but you have to do the footwork,” said Hodges.

A solar-powered live feed camera has been installed facing the homes for community members to watch the work progress online.