Colorado roofing company teams up with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for local veteran

By Jenny Yu.  

How a roofing business in Colorado Springs contributes to the effort toward more affordable housing for veterans.  

Access to affordable housing is increasingly scarce and Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity is trying to help alleviate this concern. Every year, the nonprofit builds six to ten homes to create more affordable housing opportunities for their community. Through their Veterans Build initiative, one home is always dedicated to a local veteran and their family each year.  

Habitat for Humanity homes are built primarily through volunteers and donations, and one of the most expensive parts of building a home is the roof. Enter Bumble Roofing, a roofing company that offers residential and commercial roofing services across the United States. Their Colorado Springs location teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and donated the roof for the home dedicated to a veteran.  

This year, the recipients are Willie and Barbara. Willie is a United States Army veteran who was stationed in South Korea. After retiring, he raised four kids as a single dad. Barbara was also a single parent who raised four kids while working. The two met in Colorado Springs when they each moved to the area to care for aging parents. 

For years of unstable living situations due to the high cost of housing and other basic needs, Willie and Barbara sometimes lived in a car, motels, Airbnbs and an apartment without working air conditioning. Now, because of Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity and Colorado Springs Bumble Roofing, they finally have an opportunity for homeownership. 

Eric Wells, director of construction services at Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, told KOAA News 5, “Partnering with companies and organizations is incredibly important to keeping the cost of these homes low.”  

Kristyn Itani, owner of Bumble Roofing, added, “For us, it was a very easy decision. We care about the people who we are donating roofs to. We’ve had a great partnership so far. We are looking forward to years of doing this.” 

Bumble Roofing's donation saved $180,000 in construction costs, making Willie and Barbara’s dream of owning a home a reality.