Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

By MARILEE MARTIN JAGER
Community Reporter

October 2006

A vacant home, on the 100 block of Garfield Street, waits patiently for its family to arrive. Michelle Smith, mother of two, still has 100 hours of “sweat equity” to put towards refurbishing the home before she can finally relocate from Frogtown to the West Seventh Community. “Sweat equity,” a term used by Habitat for Humanity, describes the homeowners’ own work toward the construction or refurbishing of their homes. “I also need to take more homeowner education classes before we can move in,” said Smith.

It was October 2005 when Smith and her sister-in-law decided to attend a Habitat Homebuyer Orientation.  “I didn’t think I would meet the criteria, but I went to the meeting to see if I could qualify,” Smith said.  A family of three, such as Smith’s, must make a minimum monthly gross income of $1490 and a maximum of $2,950 to qualify for the program.

“Habitat for Humanity told me what they are looking for, so I filled out a mini application and they did a background check,” said Smith. It wasn’t much later when she received a letter of approval, inviting her to proceed with the complete application process, which required more extensive paperwork on her background, family and income.

“Then they called me to tell me my background check came out okay and to set up a visit to my current home,” Smith explained. It was a month after the visit when Smith received a call from Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to notify her of an already built home they had in mind for her.

Mike Nelson, in land development for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, stated that Habitat has been rehabbing homes since about 1985.  “In the last three to five years, with home building so expensive, we’ve had less and less opportunities for potential Habitat homebuyers to build in the core cities,” said Nelson. 

“We take solid homes, which have been well taken care of, and are of good quality, and make what could have been an affordable renting product suitable for a Habitat homeowner project,” he said.  According to Nelson, rehabbing a home usually takes between six and nine months.

“When I first walked into the home, I saw it was already in pretty good condition, but the flooring is what really needed work,” said Smith.  Since she was accepted, Michelle Smith has already put approximately 200 of the 300 “sweat equity” hours into the home.  “I’ve done painting, put up sheet rock, nailed, put in carpeting, laid down hardwood floors, and laid down sod.”

“I think we should be able to move in by May at the latest,” said Smith.  Her 14-year-old daughter, Tatayana can’t wait to set up her bed and stereo in her new bedroom.

A cook at a local elementary school, Smith usually works through summer school, but took last summer off to work on the home. “Tatayana keeps asking me when I will be working on the house,” said Smith.  With Tatayana and her younger brother Corey, age 7, back in school, Smith said that it will be more difficult to get work done on the home, especially over the winter.

According to Sharon Rolenc, public relations specialist for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, a total of five homes in the West Seventh area on Goodrich Avenue, and Smith’s home on Garfield, are committed to Habitat for Humanity homebuyers.

“Living in the West Seventh area will be a whole lot different for us,” Smith stated. “It will be more quiet and way better for the kids.”

“Habitat for Humanity gives low income families the opportunity to obtain the American dream to own a home,” said Smith.  “I can achieve that.”