Community First Credit Union and Mary Beth Nienhaus sponsor neighborhood, providing affordable housing to address the region’s housing shortage
MENASHA, Wis. (Oct. 19, 2026) — Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity is proud to announce Horizon Crossing, a new 56-home mixed-income neighborhood and the largest single-site project the organization has undertaken to date. The development is made possible through the support of leading sponsors Community First Credit Union and local philanthropist Mary Beth Nienhaus. The project will be completed alongside private developer Tom McHugh Construction.
Horizon Crossing will be located in the Village of Fox Crossing just south of Highway 10 between Clayton Avenue and Irish Road. Designed to create a vibrant, mixed-income neighborhood, the neighborhood will include 39 market-rate homes built by Tom McHugh Construction and 17 zero-interest mortgage homes built by Fox Cities Habitat through its Homebuyer Program. Currently, about half of the Fox Cities Habitat homes in Horizon Crossing already have families selected to live there. The construction of market-rate houses will begin this fall and work on the Fox Cities Habitat homes is set to begin in 2027.
“As the need for housing grows and the availability of land to build becomes harder to come by, we continue to expand ways in which we can serve the community,” said John Weyenberg, president of Fox Cities Habitat. “Partnering with Tom McHugh Construction and the generous support of area donors and volunteers helps us maximize time and efficiencies that will result in 17 brand-new first-time homeowners and dozens more who will be able to acquire market-rate housing. It has been proven that these mixed-income neighborhoods help to support not only homebuyers through our program but also the community at large. We are excited to embark on this new endeavor.”
Residents of Horizon Crossing will have convenient access to Highway 10, nearby parks and vibrant surrounding neighborhoods. In recognition of the project’s key sponsors, two of the development’s main streets will be named after them: Nienhaus Way and Meraki Way.
“We’re proud to partner with Fox Cities Habitat in developing Horizon Crossing, bringing much needed housing to the area, ” said Cathie Tierney, CEO of Community First Credit Union. “Homeownership is about so much more than having a place to live. It’s about security, stability and feeling connected to your community. We’re excited to help make that opportunity possible for more families and to see this neighborhood take shape.”
Mary Beth Nienhaus, a retired teacher and longtime community philanthropist, echoed that sentiment. “I’m incredibly proud to be teaming up with Fox Cities Habitat once again to help address the critical need for affordable housing in our area in such an innovative way,” Nienhaus said.
Fox Cities Habitat homeowners engage in community volunteerism, complete dozens of hours of homeownership education and go through a thorough application process to secure a zero-interest mortgage with income-based repayment. Horizon Crossing reflects the organization’s belief that the homes it builds are a hand-up and not a hand-out, and it sets a precedent for investing in communities where residents support one another for generations to come.
For more information about Fox Cities Habitat, its homebuyer programs, or how you can get involved, visit foxcitieshabitat.org.
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About Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity
The Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian housing organization that believes in a vision of the world where everyone has a decent place to live. This vision is brought to reality through affordable housing solutions which helps families become homeowners, help low-income homeowners with critical home repairs, help families improve their financial situations to qualify for homeownership and help current Habitat homeowners through financial emergencies.
For more information and to learn how you can donate or volunteer, visit foxcitieshabitat.org.
