Community Spotlight: Habitat for Humantiy
Habitat for Humanity is not a charity. Habitat is an economic and community development organization committed to achieving community transformation by providing decent and affordable homes to hard-working families. Habitat is able to create a lasting, generational impact by bringing together businesses, churches, government, volunteers and families in need.
Each Habitat home is SOLD, not given away. Working families are selected to partner with NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity on the basis of their annual family income, depending on family size and their demonstrated need for affordable housing. After an extensive qualification process, the families must complete 300 hours of “sweat equity,” purchase the home for the “cost of construction” through a 25-year interest-free mortgage, and make principal, property insurance and tax payments totaling approximately $550 per month. Partner families must continue an ongoing relationship with NW Atlanta Habitat and agree to abide by specific post-closing restrictive covenants that continue throughout the 25-year mortgage.
Habitat is very new to Paulding. The Paulding County Habitat Coalition worked with the NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity this summer to complete Paulding’s very first build. This Paulding family of five has now moved out of a rented house that was becoming unlivable, and is safe in a home built by the dedicated Paulding County sponsors.
In order to help Habitat grow in Paulding County, relationships must be built first. It will take sponsorships to be able to renovate more homes. Sponsors supply both the financial resources to purchase building materials and the volunteer labor to build Habitat houses. Sponsorships can be comprised of a combination of churches, schools, companies, individuals and other organizations. It takes six days to renovate one home.
For Paulding’s first project, Ragsdale Heating and Air was the lead sponsor and responsible for funding, organizing, and managing the work teams. It was important to the Ragsdale Team to invest in our community through Habitat. Through their participation, it helped them get back to the core of ‘WHY” they started their business in the first place - TO SERVE, but they got so much more of a blessing out it, than what they put in. From a company perspective, it allows employees to serve together in a different capacity, to build relationships with people who want to change their lives with a hand “UP”, and to impact the community by keeping the revenue in Paulding.
There are already plans to renovate another home in Paulding County. This time the Coalition will renovate a foreclosed home. This renovation will begin on the first Saturday in May and will take six Saturdays to complete. The 2012 Habitat home will honor various denominations; however, their efforts will ultimately honor the unity of one faith under Christ for one family in need of housing in Paulding County. So far the following churches and companies have committed to funding this new renovation: Ben Hill Roofing, Inc., Dallas First United Methodist Church, KL Installation & Sons, Inc., Floor It, NorthStar Church, Ragsdale Heating and Air, and West Ridge Church.
To make a donation towards this renovation, please mail a payment to NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 2211, Douglasville, GA 30133. Please reference the donation is for the Paulding County Habitat Coalition; if given to help sponsor a certain church in this coalition please notate.
If you or someone you know is interested in home ownership or if you would like more information on this program, visit http://nwmetroatlantahabitat.org or contact Tamara L. Wilhite, Director of Douglas & Paulding Counties, NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity at 770-489-8883 or twilhite@nwmetroatlantahabitat.org.