BUILDING BACK
Habitat for Humanity
CAPE FEAR, NORTH CAROLINA H
ABITAT FOR Humanity is not in the business of giving away houses. The worldwide organization, founded in
the small Georgia town of Americus in 1976 by Millard Fuller, instead partners with first-time home-buyers, volunteers and a wide range of
BY BRIAN SHERMAN
construction professionals and suppliers to make affordable what some families might otherwise have considered impos- sible: home ownership. Cape Fear Habitat
for Humanity, one of 81 affiliates of the organiza- tion in North Carolina and more than 1,500 nationwide, serves families earning 30 percent to 60 percent of the median income in New Hanover and Pender counties in the Wilmington area. These families, which must pay closing costs of approximately $2,500, receive a house with an interest-free mortgage and payments that usually run between $450 and $500 a month, but first they must put in 250 hours of work on someone else’s home. “It usually takes them a year to complete the sweat equity hours,” said Kitty Yerkes, Cape Fear Habitat’s resource development coordinator. “Some people think we are giving away homes, but we’re not.” Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, which will celebrate its 25th anniver- sary in 2012, has helped build more
than 125 homes for people who would have been unable to obtain a loan from a traditional lending institution. Many of these homes are scattered throughout New Hanover and Pender counties on land either donated or purchased by the or- ganization. Habitat did, however, recently complete a 32-home subdi- vision, The Cottages at Cornerstone, and plans to build eight more houses at Gideon Point, an adjacent site. Potential homeowners must com- plete an application process aimed in
four months to build. There are several floor plans from which to choose, and homeowners also get to pick colors and, in many cases, flooring options. Including the land, each home
costs around $90,000 to build. Most of the work is done by volunteers or at a greatly reduced rate by contrac- tors such as plumbers and electricians, but Habitat still needs financial resources to continue its work. Part of the organization’s funding comes from mortgage payments from current homeowners, grants and sponsorships. “We ask people to sponsor a home by paying for half of it, or around $45,000,” Yerkes said. She added that the organization’s ReStore, which sells household items donated by area residents, helps pay Habitat’s operating costs. “We can tell donors that every dime they
part at making sure they will be able to repay the interest-free loan. “We have them meet with a credit specialist to go over their budget and credit report,” Yerkes said. “They need to prove they can pay the mortgage every month. We want them to succeed. One person worked for two years to reduce her credit card debt so she could get into the program.” Yerkes explained that each home,
usually around 1,200 square feet and with two to five bedrooms, depending on the size of the family, takes around
give goes to building a house,” Yerkes commented. Habitat for Humanity also receives
help from national companies such as Valspar, which donates paint, and Whirlpool, which provides kitchen appliances.
And, of course, volunteers play
a key role in Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity’s success. As young as 14, they show up on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to help others attain what, in most cases, they already have: a home of their own.
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WilmingtonBuilders.com 79
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