Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on housing project

Many people dream of owning a home in Solano County, but turning that dream into a reality can be difficult. That's why Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity is developing Harmony Village in Vacaville.

Harmony Village will provide 10 local low-income families with an opportunity to build their homes in partnership with Habitat, and then buy them with affordable financing. On Wednesday, Habitat broke ground on the project with golden shovels.

"Today's event is seven years in the making," said Andrew Killeen, CEO of Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity. "It signifies the end to the pre-development phase and the beginning of the site development and construction of the homes."

Once constructed, Harmony Village will feature 10 single-family homes and a public street on Scoggins Avenue. Each home will include four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

"This project fills my heart with joy for 10 deserving families who will not just have a safe, decent, affordable home, but a home that was amazingly designed to maximize every square inch," said Tina Norman, board president of Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity.

Construction is set to begin in the coming weeks. Killeen said the first two homes are expected to be completed near the end of 2027.

"If we start going vertical before the end of this year, we'll have selected two families by then, and then they'll help us build along with community volunteers," Killeen said. "While we're building, we'll select the next two families."

Families will be selected based on their income, need for housing, and willingness to partner with Habitat. Families qualify as low-income if they earn 50-80 percent of the area's median income.

"We will bring out the community to help us build those houses in partnership with those families and contractors," Killeen said. "That's what we call partnership housing, bringing together those with the means to help those in need."

Once families are chosen, they will be asked to provide up to 500 hours of "sweat equity" on the homes, which includes assisting in raising the walls, installing cabinets, and painting. When the homes are complete, Habitat will sell them to the families with affordable financing.

"We found partner families have a lot of pride in ownership because they helped build the house. Not many people can say ‘I built my own home,'" Killeen said during a build event on June 4. "They also learn some skills, so if there are minor repairs, they can do that too."

Vacaville Mayor John Carli said Harmony Village will leave a lasting legacy in the community.

"We're excited for the 10 families," Carli said. "There are a lot of families in need, and this is an example of how we can make a difference in Solano County and hopefully across the entire state and nation."

Vacaville Vice Mayor Michael Silva, who grew up in the same area as Harmony Village, said he's excited to see the project come to fruition.

"When this opportunity came up, I was extremely excited because there are some good friends on Rocky Hill. Those are previous Habitat for Humanity projects, and one of those families said, ‘Mike, if it weren't for Habitat for Humanity, we would have never had a home,'" Silva said. "‘Our home is small, we're a big family, but it's ours. It's our family, and we're gonna be able to leave something for our kids.'"

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM.