Habitat reaches milestone with 10th home
Volunteers gather for busy Saturday to help build new home for Paula Frank
By PAULA BARR
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Monday, October 06, 2008
There was hardly room to stand. Busy teams were hammering, carrying walls and trusses, measuring openings and climbing on ladders. Saturday morning’s volunteers on the latest home being built by Habitat for Humanity of St. Francois County had assigned teams with specific assignments and each team planned to meet their goal as quickly and accurately as possible.
A blink of the eye, and boards being hammered on the concrete floor suddenly formed a wall of the bathroom. Blink, and the limbs hanging over the property line were trimmed and the branches were in a pile for disposal. Blink – the first trusses were up to form the roof of Paula Frank’s new house at 115 West School Street in Bonne Terre.
It was only 10:30 a.m. on this first work day on the new project. It seemed quite a feat for a group of 32 that included attorneys, accountants, homemakers and a radio personality, some of whom had little or no construction experience. Each team, however, had an experienced team leader to teach the others skills they needed to build the three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house.
“I’m not real skilled, but I’ll do what people tell me to do,” confided Sarah Duckett, who is helping to meet the requirement that friends of the new homeowner put 200 hours in on the house. She and her husband, Terry, were carefully removing window-sized sections of the insulation sheathing that wrapped around the outside walls.
The entire project is overseen by Kevin Kazmierczak of Help Improvements. This is the 10th home built by the local Habitat group. The first nine were completed in Farmington, Park Hills and Bonne Terre.
About 1 percent of applicants are accepted into the program, which builds homes for low-income families using mostly volunteer and homeowner labor. New homeowners not only have to be able to make the mortgage payments, they have to commit to at least 400 hours of “sweat equity,” 200 hours of which they must do themselves. Friends and family can help with the remaining 200 hours.
“We go through a very thorough investigation process,” said Ed Pultz, chairman of the Habitat Board. “We look at their credit rating, debt-to-income ratio. So far, we haven’t had to repossess a home yet.”
Habitat provides interest-free mortgages with 20-year-terms, he added. Funds for building the homes come from donations, grants, and sponsorships. For example, Frank’s church, Memorial United Methodist Church in Farmington, has committed to being a Super Sponsor for her house and is raising $20,000 for the project.
Companies that donate money or in-kind services qualify for a 55 percent tax credit, and also can claim the donation on their income tax. That would result in a company that donates $1,000 ending up only $300 out of pocket, Pultz estimated.
The homeowners’ interest-free mortgage payments will help fund the cost of additional Habitat housing projects, Pultz added.
“These volunteers are not only helping to build a house for Paula, they are helping future homeowners have houses as well,” he explained.
On Saturday, there were more volunteers than work, and nearly 20 people were turned away for lack of work to do. Habitat is trying a new policy — call first and you’ll be placed on a team. Those who drop by may participate as needed, Pultz said.
“My husband and I found ourselves with some extra time,” said Peggy Kohler, a Bonne Terre resident who was volunteering for the first time. “We donate, but I thought this time we could help with the house, since it’s in Bonne Terre. It’s amazing how fast it’s going up.”
Typically, the number of volunteers drops off as the house progresses, and volunteers are scarce by the time more detailed finishing work is completed, Pultz said. People who would like to help with the house may sign up ahead of time by calling Executive Director Linda Dickerson at 573-760-1702, or e-mail her at habitatofsfc@yahoo.com. Volunteers are welcome to stop by without calling first, and will be assigned to teams as needed.
Paula Barr is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 172 or at pbarr@dailyjournalonline.com.
A blink of the eye, and boards being hammered on the concrete floor suddenly formed a wall of the bathroom. Blink, and the limbs hanging over the property line were trimmed and the branches were in a pile for disposal. Blink – the first trusses were up to form the roof of Paula Frank’s new house at 115 West School Street in Bonne Terre.
It was only 10:30 a.m. on this first work day on the new project. It seemed quite a feat for a group of 32 that included attorneys, accountants, homemakers and a radio personality, some of whom had little or no construction experience. Each team, however, had an experienced team leader to teach the others skills they needed to build the three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house.
“I’m not real skilled, but I’ll do what people tell me to do,” confided Sarah Duckett, who is helping to meet the requirement that friends of the new homeowner put 200 hours in on the house. She and her husband, Terry, were carefully removing window-sized sections of the insulation sheathing that wrapped around the outside walls.
The entire project is overseen by Kevin Kazmierczak of Help Improvements. This is the 10th home built by the local Habitat group. The first nine were completed in Farmington, Park Hills and Bonne Terre.
About 1 percent of applicants are accepted into the program, which builds homes for low-income families using mostly volunteer and homeowner labor. New homeowners not only have to be able to make the mortgage payments, they have to commit to at least 400 hours of “sweat equity,” 200 hours of which they must do themselves. Friends and family can help with the remaining 200 hours.
“We go through a very thorough investigation process,” said Ed Pultz, chairman of the Habitat Board. “We look at their credit rating, debt-to-income ratio. So far, we haven’t had to repossess a home yet.”
Habitat provides interest-free mortgages with 20-year-terms, he added. Funds for building the homes come from donations, grants, and sponsorships. For example, Frank’s church, Memorial United Methodist Church in Farmington, has committed to being a Super Sponsor for her house and is raising $20,000 for the project.
Companies that donate money or in-kind services qualify for a 55 percent tax credit, and also can claim the donation on their income tax. That would result in a company that donates $1,000 ending up only $300 out of pocket, Pultz estimated.
The homeowners’ interest-free mortgage payments will help fund the cost of additional Habitat housing projects, Pultz added.
“These volunteers are not only helping to build a house for Paula, they are helping future homeowners have houses as well,” he explained.
On Saturday, there were more volunteers than work, and nearly 20 people were turned away for lack of work to do. Habitat is trying a new policy — call first and you’ll be placed on a team. Those who drop by may participate as needed, Pultz said.
“My husband and I found ourselves with some extra time,” said Peggy Kohler, a Bonne Terre resident who was volunteering for the first time. “We donate, but I thought this time we could help with the house, since it’s in Bonne Terre. It’s amazing how fast it’s going up.”
Typically, the number of volunteers drops off as the house progresses, and volunteers are scarce by the time more detailed finishing work is completed, Pultz said. People who would like to help with the house may sign up ahead of time by calling Executive Director Linda Dickerson at 573-760-1702, or e-mail her at habitatofsfc@yahoo.com. Volunteers are welcome to stop by without calling first, and will be assigned to teams as needed.
Paula Barr is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 172 or at pbarr@dailyjournalonline.com.
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