25 years in, Habitat raises roofs, fulfills dreams

ST. LOUIS • Brandy Irwin, a single mother who lives with her two young daughters in a downtown apartment, can't wait to move into her new home Aug. 22 in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood.
"Where we live now, they can't go outside and play," said Irwin, whose modest home — built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers — will include a front porch and a small, enclosed yard.
Irwin, an archive technician at the National Personnel Administration, is happy that her girls, 3 and 7, will each have her own room. Her sister, Aaisha Irwin, bought a Habitat home nearby in 2008.
"It was definitely a dream of mine," said Brandy Irwin, a first-time homebuyer.
Neighbors and volunteers turned out Sunday morning on the 2900 and 3000 blocks of Thomas Street to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis. About 150 volunteers worked on seven homes, and until the rain came, a community fair was held on the blocked-off streets.
Since the 1980s, the Habitat group has built 313 homes in the St. Louis area, including 104 homes in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood. The three- and four-bedroom homes sell for $132,000 and $138,000, and come with a no-interest mortgage loan.
"We lose money on every house we build, but that's why we rely on sponsors," said Kimberly McKinney, chief executive of Habitat here.
Normally, there's a long waiting list of buyers. But these days, because of the economy, Habitat is looking for new buyers. Two of its new houses have not yet sold.
"People are struggling," said Avis Laden, the group's family services manager. "They're unsure of their finances."
Some prospective buyers were turned down because they only have part-time jobs; others have credit problems.
Dozens of candidates are receiving "credit repair" counseling.
"We want them to be successful homebuyers," McKinney said. "Education is part of the process, making sure homebuyers are prepared for all their expenses ... They need a hand up, not a hand out."
Habitat homebuyers put in 350 hours of 'sweat equity" at the homesite or in the community.
Josephine Chambers bought a Habitat home in 1993 in the Meacham Park area of Kirkwood, where she reared her three grandchildren.
"I wouldn't have had the money to make a down payment on a house, but I helped build seven new homes for my sweat equity," she said. "I am so grateful for Habitat. They helped me so much."
McKinney said that only 10 percent of Habitat homes built in the St. Louis area are not owned by the initial buyer, and only a few of those became foreclosures.

The local Habitat organization is the nation's largest producer of LEED Certified Platinum (the nation's highest energy conservation standard) single-family homes, said William McHugh, the group's construction manager.
He said the one-story homes are built with cement-fiber siding, solar-tube skylights and reflectant roofs that conserve energy and lower utility bills to about $40 a month.
Habitat crews work two days a week on a 16-week schedule to build a home, and trainers teach volunteers everything from reading blueprints to cabinet finishing.
"We take people and what they bring to us," McHugh said. "We haven't had a volunteer miss the mark yet."
Alderman Marlene Davis, whose 19th Ward includes the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood, said that Habitat homes have helped revitalize it. In recent years, she said, police have worked to reduce the neighborhood's crime rate.
"People who probably normally wouldn't care much about this part of the city, come here and fall in love," Davis said. "I've seen the same volunteers return year after year."
Chris Williams, a Habitat volunteer and an executive at Anheuser-Busch InBev, said, "It's fairly easy to get our folks to volunteer. There's a lot of community spirit down at the brewery."
Tina Hardin bought a Habitat home in 2009 on Thomas Street, where she lives with her four children, ages 7 to 18, and serves as a block captain.
"The neighborhood is very decent, and with more homeowners it's growing," Hardin said. "It's just like fine wine. Our neighborhood is getting older and better."

Source http://www.stltoday.com/