By Kristi Cummins / Editor in Chief
Habitat for Hamtramck: the Perrotta brothers’ nonprofit organization is getting lots of attention.
Ian and Andrew Perrotta will move to Detroit after graduation this Saturday to further the progress of their nonprofit housing organization, Habitat for Hamtramck.

The brothers formed Habitat for Hamtramck with the goal of rehabilitating houses in the Hamtramck area of Detroit and giving them to families that can help further the positive redevelopment of the area.

“About six weeks ago, there were a lot of news reports about how houses in Detroit were only $100,” Ian said. “I told my brother that if we had lived in the area we would know which areas were good places to get some houses, but since we’re from Pittsburgh we had no idea where those areas would be and left it at that. After seeing a 20/20 episode about how some artists from the Hamtramck area of Detroit were involved in a sort of collective initiative to help revitalize the area, my brother and I realized that that was the area to do it in, and we got in my truck and drove there that night.”

The idea to use the homes to help others wasn’t the original goal.

“I bought some houses thinking I would rehab them myself, but then one day while I was laying in bed the idea came to me to give them away, using the Internet to raise money and awareness for the cause, as well as to keep track of what we were doing,” Ian said. “Everything else branched off from that.”

There are fliers all over Greensburg advertising Habitat for Hamtramck, but that’s on a small scale compared to what they have achieved. On April 15, famed celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton posted a blog promoting the organization.

“My brother sent Perez Hilton a message saying that he likes to read the blog sometimes before class and he has noticed he usually puts up blogs advertising worthwhile causes,” Ian said. “Andrew was asking him to do it as a favor, person to person, and he did.”

After the blog was posted, the site got 1,000 hits and Habitat for Hamtramck raised $1,100 that day alone. A few days later, Andrew thanked Perez Hilton again and told him about the next wave, which is a challenge to Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, and Perez took the initiative and posted a comment on his Twitter saying, “Hey, Stephen Colbert, Read THIS http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-246061,” which is a link to the press release for the challenge that we put up on CNN I-Report. Over 4,500 people have seen that article.

“With the Perez Hilton twitter we have made a lot of progress with the challenge,” Ian said. “It legitimized it in front of the world and helped boost awareness of it overall. I sent Stephen Colbert’s director a certified letter notifying her of the challenge, so there is no escaping it.”

To keep up to date on the progress of the challenge to Stephen Colbert, you can visit www.IsStephenColbertACoward.com.

As far as the level of success the twins’ endeavor would produce, Ian was sure from the start it would work out.

“I was absolutely confident that the idea would work,” he said. “Americans love reality TV and the Internet, and this integrates the two. But unlike TV, the Web site is not mindless entertainment. It’s almost more like an instructional manual on how to revitalize your own community. Once people see how easy it is when you put in the effort, I hope that the idea will catch on.”

The brothers are excited about the move not only to further their cause, but also because they enjoy every aspect of Detroit that they have experienced thus far.

“After about an hour of being in the area, we had both made up our minds to move there,” Ian said. “Detroit is an awesome city with a lot of history, culture, and entertainment to offer. It’s affordable for young people like me who dream of owning their own homes before they’re 25. The people of Detroit are incredibly friendly. I’ve already met more of who my neighbors will be there than the ones I have met that are my neighbors here.”

If the name Habitat for Hamtramck sounds familiar, it’s because it sounds a lot like the name of Habitat for Humanity, which has a similar goal on a more global scale. Ian hopes that Habitat for Humanity will be more concerned with Habitat for Hamtramck’s purpose than the likeness of their organization names.

“Yes, it’s true, our name does resemble Habitat for Humanity’s name,” Ian said. “That’s the point. People can instantly make the connection between the two, yet we still remain a distinct and separate entity. I don’t think there is an issue of copyright infringement there. If there is, hopefully Habitat for Humanity will sue us. The publicity would only serve to elevate our cause.”

Ian and Andrew already own two homes in Hamtramck and are in the process of buying another. After those are rehabilitated, they can focus on the growth of Habitat for Hamtramck, but they are taking small steps as of now.

“There is plenty of opportunity in Detroit for young people who are motivated self-starters and that have a vision,” Ian said. “Detroit is the new Wild West where anything is possible.”

For more information on how you can help Habitat for Hamtramck or donate to the cause, visit the Web site at www.habitatforhamtramck.org.