The people at Habitat for Humanity believe in building homes, lives and the community. For them, improving the lives of young families is a rewarding experience, and they will begin building their 75th home in September.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit agency that functions on community support. Donations provide the funding the organization needs to build homes for people who normally can’t come up with a down payment for a home.
“Our goal is to give a hand up, not a hand down,” said Dorothy Noriega, resource director for the local agency.
By building homes, Noriega said Habitat not only helps the family in need, but it also helps the community in which the home is built.
“Sometimes when we’re building a home, the neighbor next door might need [his or her] house painted, so we provide the paint.” Noriega said.
The overall goal, Noriega said, is to get families out of the apartment environment. Studies show many kids do well when they have a stable home environment. The organization wants to provide these kids with that opportunity.
“The houses we build come with everything: a stove, washer and dryer, refrigerator, and everything the family needs,” Noriega stated.
Of course, these homes wouldn’t be possible without donation support, she said. Every year, the organization holds several fundraisers. For instance, the last home built went to a young mother and her two teenage children. It was a three-bedroom home funded by the 100 Women Build Project. These 100 women, all from the Concho Valley area, wanted to participate in the project, but didn’t have the time to actually build the home. Instead, they all agreed to donate $600 throughout the year with a minimum monthly contribution of $50.
“It’s a reasonable house,” Noriega said about the project. “It’s nothing fancy; it’s just a home this family can enjoy.”
The next fundraiser will involve Habitat for Humanity employees building playhouses. The organization will sell the playhouses to local business owners, who in turn will paint and decorate the homes. Once completed, the businesses will return the homes to Habitat for Humanity. The organization will then host an auction for the completed products.
Other fundraisers include Jazz in the Lumberyard, which will be held in October at City Lumber, and Handbags for Habitat in November, which will host a speaker and silent auction tables full of fashion bags. Additionally, the 76th house is referred to as “The Bank House,” because five banks have partnered together to fund the home.
“Although the banks will fund the loan, Habitat carries it,” Noriega said. “We are the bank. The people pay us back.”
Noriega said many people in the community are under the misconception that the recipients of the program get free homes. They don’t.
“It’s not a free home,” she said. “It’s a 20-year loan interest free and you have to qualify for this loan.”
Additionally, Noriega said recipients have to meet Habitat’s guidelines on income and have to put in sweat equity hours in lieu of a down payment. People also can’t have a debt-to-income ratio over 30 percent of their annual net income, and they have to work 24 months without a break in service.
“People have to fulfill obligations before being able to apply for a home,” Noriega said.
In addition to fundraising events to build homes and communities, Habitat for Humanity offers community residents the opportunity to buy donated household items for $5 at its ReStore event, which is held bi-monthly at 40 N. Chadbourne St. in San Angelo.
“We sell household items out to people who may not be able to go out and buy them at Home Depot,” Noriega said. “Sometimes we get tile, fans and other major household items.”
The next ReStore event will take place on Sept. 26.
For people interested in the Habitat for Humanity program or have questions, they can visit the website by clicking here.
*Benjamin Hettick contributed to this report.
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