Habitat For Humanity of Long Island’s Man of the Year donates roof for Riverhead home

Thanks to a donation from a philanthropic business owner, Riverhead’s latest Habitat for Humanity of Long Island home received a free roof.

A construction crew from King Quality Construction, a contractor based in Bohemia, spent all day Wednesday installing the roof atop 18 Oak Drive in Riverhead. Some of the materials were donated through GAF Roofing and ABC Building Supply, while King Quality provided the rest, as well as the labor, as part of its charitable initiative, King Quality Cares. The contractor previously donated roofs to five other Habitat builds, and installed a roof, plus windows and siding on a sixth house.

King Quality’s founder and CEO, Jeff Brett, said his company has committed to the same arrangement for all Habitat For Humanity of Long Island builds this year.

“We have the support to keep this going next year as well,” Mr. Brett said Wednesday at the Riverhead job site. “We want to get more involved.”

Habitat For Humanity of Long Island named Mr. Brett its 2023 Man of the Year for not only helping them build several homes, but also gifting a $50,000 grant to produce a Habitat For Humanity of Long Island commercial, which aired on News 12. Mr. Brett hopes the commercial and other outreach efforts will inspire more business owners to partner with Habitat For Humanity of Long Island.

“It changes a family’s whole life, it’s an amazing program,” Mr. Brett said of getting involved with Habitat. “With this King Quality Cares thing, it’s not just about what King Quality can do. We want to get more business owners involved with Habitat. It will help all of Long Island. The more people that own a home, the more people that will help businesses back.”

Mr. Brett previously gifted media grants to John’s Crazy Socks of Smithtown, a father-and-son sock shop which advocates for the hiring of individuals with varying abilities, and Ronkonkoma’s L.I. Against Domestic Violence. 

Each year, the Habitat For Humanity of Long Island builds six to eight houses, CEO Jimmy Jack said. With the help of more partners like King Quality, Mr. Jack hopes to triple this annual figure in five years. 

“Working with Jeff, he really cares, and it helps us so much,” Mr. Jack explained. “We have to run out and raise the funding and get laborers, but when businesses like King Quality come in and join us, we can do more, build more homes.”

The head of the local chapter of the national nonprofit said a local family was recently selected from approximately 140 applicants to move into the 1,044-square-foot, three-bedroom, one-bathroom home, which he expects will be ready for them within four to six months. These homeowners will receive approval for a 30-year mortgage through a bank with a 2% interest rate. They must also complete 300 hours of “sweat equity” by helping build their future home or another house in the program, as well as complete budgeting classes and volunteer for community service. 

The home marked the Long Island nonprofit’s first concrete build-out made from insulating concrete forms (ICF). The technology is an alternative to traditional wooden frames that cuts down on time, labor, costs and materials while increasing sustainability. The roofing system, Mr. Brett said, should last 50 years, as the breathable materials should prevent mold.

“We’re not giving them the cheapest thing we can get, we’re giving them the best system,” he said. “Not only are they going to own a home, but they don’t have to worry about the roof for 50 years … You have enough to worry about as a Long Island home owner — the taxes, the utilities — they don’t have to worry about this.”