By Patrick Crowley
Enquirer staff writer

COVINGTON - Thirteen-year-old Nicholas Matthews emerged Thursday from the framed shell of a new home being built on the city's east side with mud caked to him from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.

Matthews was using a bucket to haul water out of the basement, which turned into a muddy mess following Wednesday's heavy rains.

It was a dirty job, but he volunteered to do it.

Eli Williamson (right), and Megan Fox, members of the St. Susanna Church youth group in Mason, empty buckets of muddy water left by rain from the basement of a house under construction in Covington. (Enquirer photo/PATRICK REDDY)

Matthews, an eighth-grader at St. Susanna School in Mason, was with his church youth group working on a job site for Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, or HONK, a Covington-based organization that provides homes to low-income people.

"I didn't know I'd be getting this dirty, but it's kind of fun," Matthews said. "Plus, it feels really good to be able to help somebody out.

"That's the best part."

Over the last decade HONK has built 26 homes and rehabbed another 50 in Northern Kentucky, most in Covington's urban neighborhoods. Four new homes are under construction, including two in the 300 block of East 13th Street.

"Our mission is to give people a chance to own their own home," said the Rev. Joe Gallenstein, a Roman Catholic priest who is HONK's executive director.

Low-income applicants chosen through HONK's screening process pay rent for a couple of years, with some of the money going toward a down payment.

During that time HONK counsels residents on saving money and home ownership responsibilities. In most cases, residents are ready to apply for a home loan after about two years, Gallenstein said. The City of Covington sold the property for the homes to HONK for $1.

Most labor and materials are donated, though HONK does fund-raising.

"We get the money and help wherever we can," said Gallenstein, who works every day on projects. "I don't have a parish. This is what I do."

Gallenstein has a crew of retirees who work every Thursday on the homes - Chuck Miller, Jim Stegman Sr. and Lee Niehaus from Fort Thomas and Chuck Gerhardstein of Cold Spring. They were recruited by their parish priests.

A group of Northern Kentucky Home Builders Association members spent a weekend in late July framing the houses.

"It's a great program that in essence moves the working poor from rentals to home ownership," said Jim Stegman Jr., a custom home builder from Fort Thomas. "We're glad as home builders to be able to use what we know to help somebody out."

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E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com