Habitat for Humanity doesn’t give anything away. The nonprofit organization that builds affordable homes for people with lower incomes requires prospective home owners to put some “sweat equity” into the project. In other words, if Habitat volunteers are building a home for someone, the recipient is expected to help with the work.
Even after it is finished, there’s no free ride. They have to pay for their new homes, albeit at a lower price and with a no-interest loan.
The Barton County chapter of Habitat for Humanity has built five homes since it started in 2001. The board of directors plans to start another project sometime this year, but doesn’t have any land to build on right now. So, instead of building a new home, the organization may do a home rehabilitation.
It’s good that the board of directors is looking for new ideas. Here’s what others are doing:
In Topeka, Habitat staff recently handed over the keys on their “Story of Hope Number 74” to a working mom who could never quite qualify for a home loan. Topeka Habitat for Humanity works with three local high schools, whose students build new homes for the program. Habitat paid about $30,000 for the materials; the house was built by students at Seaman High School and then set on a foundation at 645 SW Grand Court.
Great Bend High School used to have a carpentry program, too. Students built a few houses, but then the school had trouble selling them. Wouldn’t it be great if GBHS or some other area school could revive its carpentry program in just this way?