University of Massachusetts graduate Dennis Plato will be biking across the country to raise money for affordable housing. Plato is traveling with Bike and Build, a non-profit organization that sends young adults on cross-country trips each summer, with stops along the way to build affordable housing units.

“A friend of mine told me about Bike and Build, and it seemed like a perfect fit,” said Plato, who did not feel ready to go straight to work after graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management this past December. Plato added that Bike and Build felt like a good cause, especially given the current housing crisis.

According to Habitat for Humanity, around one third of Americans live in overcrowded or physically inadequate housing if they have homes at all. Approximately one in seven Americans spends more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Nationally, over two million of sub-prime mortgages have ended in foreclosure.

Plato departs from Manteo, N.C. on May 23 and ends the 3,428 mile trip in San Diego, Calif. on July 24. The route will take Plato through Middle America – North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Okalahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Arizona – before ending in Southern California. He will participate in 10 build days in several of those states.

“I hadn’t seen a lot of those areas of the country,” Plato said. “It seemed like a really nice scenic route.”

Approximately 30 other young adults, ages 18 to 25, will be making the trip with him. This is one of seven routes, all leaving from the eastern seaboard and ending on the west coast.

Plato and the other riders will be able to keep in touch via e-mail and with scheduled mail drops while on the road. Plato also has a blog for friends and family to track his progress.

“I’m psyched. I can’t wait,” Plato said. “I’ve never done anything like this.”

Plato said that while he did some labor work with a friend of the family, he’s never done build-work for affordable housing. Bike and Build requires that he perform eight hours of volunteer construction work before the trip. Plato said he expected that people who have never done construction work would receive some training.

“I’m a little nervous about it,” Plato said, referring to the physical nature of the trip.

Bikers will start riding early in the morning and will enjoy time off at night and during some scheduled days off. They will be staying with people in the communities they bike through. A van and a trailer will follow the riders carrying luggage.

So far, Plato has raised $745. He needs to raise $2,000 by March 21 and $4,000 before he leaves North Carolina. Donations can be made through the Bike and Build Web site. The money will go to student-led affordable housing projects.

Bike and Build’s headquarters are located in New York City. It was founded in 2003 and has contributed more than $1 million to student-led housing projects, with over 500 riders.

Elizabeth Hawley can be reached at [email protected].