Sunday, September 12, 1999
Habitat for Humanity builds homes, confidence
BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Carol Manning and son Henry, 18, found happiness and self-esteem in the house.
(Yoni Pozner photos)
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After 13 years of breaking ground and pounding nails, the Tristate's nine Habitat for Humanity affiliates can point to 142 homes in 40 communities. Each represents many things to many people.
Individual homeowners talk about accomplishment and security. Volunteers, who number in the thousands, talk about personal satisfaction of helping others.
Decent housing is its primary goal, say Habitat officials, adding that another measure of success is a foreclosure rate below the national commercial rate.
Habitat bends over backward to help some of the low-income families repay the modest mortgages, but there are some failures. Of the regional affiliates, only one has had to evict families. Northern Kentucky Habitat reports it has evicted six families for falling behind on payments or not maintaining the house.
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YOU CAN HELP
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To volunteer or donate materials:
• Cincinnati: 621-4147.
• Clermont County: 831-0272.
• Dearborn and Ohio counties (Indiana): (812) 926-2183.
• Hamilton-Oxford: 856-8833.
• Hope Habitat: 932-7225 (Covers most of Warren County.)
• Middletown: 424-6434.
• Mill Creek Valley: 761-4687.
• Northern Kentucky: 397-6670.
• West Chester-Mason: 852-9818.
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Nationally, less than 1 percent of Habitat homeowners defaulted on their no-interest loans, according to Habitat statistics in 1997. The rate is below the national commercial rate of 1.1 for all types of mortgages, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America in Washington, D.C.
Habitat's foreclosure rate, along with the personal successes of its families, are among the reasons why the nonprofit Christian housing ministry claims success.
Also, six families moved voluntarily, and at least one homeowner died among the nine regional affiliates.
Now, the Enquirer has learned that the nine affiliates in the Tristate are moving toward a merger to centralize services and do more building.
Stephanie Craig measures the porch of the house being built for her as Darb Dewar helps with the work.
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“It looks very promising not only from the standpoint of a merger, but from the standpoint of more cooperation,” said Tony Brunsman, executive director of Southwestern Ohio-Northern Kentucky Habitat for Humanity (SWONKY), which promotes, markets and raises funds for six of the nine affiliates. A decision on the merger could be made soon.
More than just homes
Habitat's mission is to build homes and provide them to low-income families through interest-free loans. But the impact goes far beyond a place to live. Habitat houses allows families — mostly single-parent — to build hope and relationships and strengthen neighborhoods, Habitat officials say.
“We're a hand up, not a handout,” said O'Neal Johnston, president of Clermont County Habitat for Humanity.
Wanda Means, a family advocate with Victory Neighborhood Services, said the move to her Avondale Habitat house three years ago improved her self-esteem. She lives there with her youngest children — Leonard, 20, and Kandis, 13.
After 24 years in an apartment, “I just want to leave something for (my children), and I have that now,” said Ms. Means, 47.
Families echo Habitat officials' claim that the security of a nice place to live helps adults do better on the job and children do better at school.
“It's what it does for people on the inside. It's that intangible quality of hope,” said Millard Fuller, Habitat's founder, president and chief executive officer. “Many people without decent housing consider themselves life's losers. This is the first victory they may have ever had. And it changes them.
“We see Habitat homeowners ... do all kinds of things they never believed they could do before they moved into their house. By their own initiative, through their own pride and hope, they change.”
Wendy Stemmerding moved into a Habitat house in Oakley two years ago with husband, Mark, and their 5-year-old daughter, Tavitha. The family said goodbye to a cramped efficiency apartment in Norwood.
“We have a sense of security and a sense of accomplishment,” Mrs. Stemmerding said. “This is home. Nobody could drag me away from here. I want to die in this house.”
How does Habitat work?
Three criteria are used to select partner families, says Mary Dickhaut, chairwoman of the Family Selection and Nurture Committee for Cincinnati Habitat. They are: level of need, ability to pay mortgages and willingness to partner with Habitat — including fulfilling the required 500 hours of “sweat equity” or personal investment.
The sweat is literal. Families help the volunteers build the house — carrying 2-by-4s, painting, pouring concrete and hanging doors. Or they can assist with operations.
Habitat then serves as the mortgage company, with monthly payments typically ranging from about $200 to $450.
Payments go into a fund to build other houses.
Habitat's success is a combination of the cooperation among partner families, volunteers and the financial support of churches, corporations, community groups and individuals who sponsor houses.
“If we're just building houses, then we're not developing communities, we're not looking at underlying needs,” said the Rev. Melissa Sevier, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Aurora and president of the Habitat affiliate serving Dearborn and Ohio counties in Indiana.
Habitat says part of its success is bringing people from different backgrounds together by building houses in racially mixed communities.
“We're not only building homes, we're building communities,” said Wilma Wood, executive director of Middletown Area Habitat for Humanity. “It revitalizes a neighborhood.”
The Eastside Coalition Project of Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity takes that literally. The coalition of seven churches and Fifth Third bank has launched its largest building program to date — the simultaneous construction of three houses in Evanston on Hackberry Street and Fairfield Ave.
Using free labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat has built 80,000 houses worldwide.
Cincinnati Habitat alone has logged the work of more than 10,000 volunteers to build 41 houses and do administrative work since it was founded 13 years ago.
John Cerniglia, executive director of Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, said volunteers are crucial to serve on committees, raise money, organize food and devotionals, make phone calls, write letters and plan.
For each hour spent at a construction site, Mr. Cerniglia said, 10 hours are required behind the scenes.
It isn't as easy as handing over the keys.
Key to the program is a family advocate who, for at least a year, helps the family make the transition to home ownership.
Sometimes it can be a struggle for Habitat to decide how far to stretch the bounds of compassion to help families keep the houses — even after they have fallen behind on payments. Officials use every available resource before moving to foreclose on a mortgage.
“We have some families that we have to work with on a payment-by-payment basis,” said Vicky Nicolaci, president of Northern Kentucky Habitat for Humanity.
“We don't start foreclosure or eviction procedures until we've done everything we can to work with the families to get them through their times of needs or we're convinced that they no longer have an interest in partnering with us,” she said.
Eleven percent of Habitat's U.S. families were behind in payments in 1993, the last time the group took a survey. The reasons vary: The major breadwinner left, a single parent became unemployed or a child needs continuous medical help.
In some communities, the word just isn't out on Habitat. The affiliate which serves Dearborn and Ohio counties is looking for families, says Bill Mount Sier, treasurer of the organization.
“We're looking to pick our fifth partner family right now, and we have less than a half-dozen applications. We think there is a bigger need out there,” he said.
Her house has changed her life, says Lisa Gregory of Taylor Mill.
Unable to afford a traditional mortgage, she turned to Habitat. It enabled her to move her three children — ages 11 to 14 — from what she described as a rough area in Covington.
“(The Habitat house) gives you security for yourself and the kids,” said Ms. Gregory.
“It makes life easier. You can focus on other things, instead of constantly thinking about where you're going to be living.”
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