Public invited to Habitat for Humanity’s open house and dedication
Contessa Wilson and her son Kedar Davis work inside their newly renovated home in Jefferson that was recently completed by Greene County Habitat for Humanity. Habitat will hold an open house and dedication of the new home for the public on Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. (Photo courtesy of Greene County Habitat for Humanity)
Volunteers from Greene County Habitat for Humanity work on the house in Jefferson that will be occupied by Contessa Wilson and her two children. (Photo courtesy of Greene County Habitat for Humanity)
For Contessa Wilson and her two children, Kedar and Ayanna Davis, 2016 is starting out with a new jump start on life.
The family is getting a newly renovated house in Jefferson, a project recently completed by the Greene County Habitat for Humanity.
On Saturday, Jan. 30, at 11 a.m., the public is invited to view the three-bedroom, ranch-style home, located at 1385 Jefferson Road, and talk to the new residents and Habitat staff and volunteers at an open house and dedication. Following the open house, the owners will move into their new home in early February.
“The Jefferson Ministerium built the house in the late 1980s for an elderly woman with the stipulation that, when she passed, it would go to Habitat,” said Keith Davin, Habitat’s executive director. “After she passed several years ago, we added two bedrooms to the structure and used it as temporary housing for one of our part-time employees. Overall, the cost to renovate the house is somewhere in the vicinity of $30,000.”
To qualify for a Habitat house, prospective owners have to demonstrate that their income is below a certain level, but also must have an income reliable enough to pay back the mortgage, annual taxes and household insurance.
“Our mortgages come with zero percent interest, and we don’t charge for our volunteer labor,” Davin said.
All applications for a Habitat house are reviewed by an application committee, which makes its selections based on a need for suitable housing, a willingness to work with Habitat’s mission by either participating on a project or helping with fundraising and the ability to pay back the mortgage. In the process of getting a new or renovated house, applicants must also put in “sweat equity hours” by working on a Habitat project.
Once finished, the owner is responsible for furnishing the house except for the stove and refrigerator, which were donated by the Whirlpool Corporation.
Last year, Habitat for Humanity renovated a house in west Waynesburg originally built many years ago by Habitat. Eventually, the owner sold the house back to Habitat, which then renovated the structure for a new occupant.
Currently, Habitat is working on two houses, one in Crucible and another manufactured house donated by Noble Energy and moved to Carmichaels. In general, renovated Habitat houses cost $40,000 to $50,000, and new houses cost around $80,000.
“Occasionally, Habitat will purchase a house,” Davin said. “Sometimes people also donate a house to us. In that case, we’ll either renovate it or raze it if it’s too far gone and build a new one on the site.”
According to Davin, a group of people got together to form the Greene County Habitat for Humanity in November 1984. The nonprofit was incorporated in February 1985. Davin has served as executive director for about the past 15 years. Currently, Habitat has three paid employees, which includes Davin.
Since its founding, the Greene County Habitat has built 33 new homes and rehabilitated 25 others. In the process, the organization has housed 58 families, totaling 210 individuals, including 115 children, 21 single mother households and seven elderly homeowners
Despite the boom in Marcellus Shale drilling work within the county, a growing segment of the county’s population continues to struggle to make ends meet. The past few years, Habitat has put more effort into rehabilitating suitable homes to provide an increased stock of more affordable homes.
Greene County Habitat relies on volunteers to build its homes. Each year, it hosts 12 to 15 volunteer work camps from outside the region. These groups consist of college students from outside the state who participate in their campuses’ alternative spring break programs, and numerous youth and adult groups from churches throughout the country who join in during the summer to build homes as they focus on mission work. Weekly, during the school year, students from Waynesburg University assist in its construction projects.
“Over the course of each year, we work with hundreds of volunteers,” Davin said. “Last year, employees from Chevron and the Baily Agency came down to work on our projects along with students from Waynesburg University. During spring break in March, students from Fordham University and Boston College will come down to help us with our home projects.”
“In order for us to complete our projects, however, we rely not only on volunteer labor, but also on continued support from the community — everything from businesses and churches to foundations,” Davin said.
To volunteer or for more information about Greene County Habitat for Humanity, call 724-852-2598.