Work is underway on Upper Cumberland Habitat for Humanity’s latest house project in Overton County following Saturday’s groundbreaking.
Habitat Executive Director Jeremy Byrd said this will be the first home built in Overton County in a few years. Byrd said sponsors are needed to buy materials and help with construction. Byrd said people selected must prove a need for better housing.
“That is going to take about 18 months to go through because there is going to be some teaching components that we work with the families,” Byrd said. “Many of them are first time home buyers. And so we want them to understand maintenance and homeowner issues like insurance, and some of the factors that you may not consider when you’re first purchasing a home.”
Byrd said there is a sweat equity component, as families in the program are expected to help build other Habitat homes. Byrd said families may also be required to volunteer for certain community events to show their investment.
Byrd said at the end of the process, the home is not given away. Byrd said the selected family will still have to buy their new home and make mortgage payments, which requires some degree of financial stability. Byrd said mortgages for these homes are often less than the family paid in rent before.
“It’s a long wait, but there are some things they’re accomplishing while they’re waiting,” Byrd said. “And so the end of it, they feel very accomplished. And when they sign those closing documents and take ownership of their home, they feel very much invested and involved in that program.”
Byrd said a committee helps the Habitat Board of Directors select what families enter the program and get in line to purchase their home.
Byrd said many families in the program have been approved for traditional mortgages, but rising costs have put even entry-level housing out of reach.
Byrd said Habitat’s goal is to take away the burden of finding decent, affordable shelter so families can focus on other things. Byrd said the homes may also serve as a platform for upward mobility, as the money saved through a lower mortgage payment can be invested elsewhere.
“We’ve had multiple family members come back to us and say, ‘Habitat for Humanity literally saved my life,'” Byrd said. And that’s just such a rewarding experience to be able to feed people after they’ve kind of lived paycheck to paycheck or had other burdens.To unburden them, and for them to really be able to grow and to prosper.”
Byrd said the schematics of the new home in Overton County are still being developed, but it will be one of the larger homes Habitat can build. Byrd said the house will have five bedrooms.
Upper Cumberland Habitat for Humanity merged with the Overton County affiliate in 2015. Byrd said the Overton affiliate built a few homes before the merger and a few more since.
Ground was broken on the latest home on September 6. The groundbreaking was held on West 1st Street in Livingston.
