City director donates land to Habitat for Humanity
Two local families will have the chance to get a new home thanks to the generosity of a Hot Springs city director.
Karen Garcia, the District 5 director, recently purchased a large plot of land on Beard Street that she is donating to Garland County Habitat for Humanity.
“It’s not quite two (lots), but it’s a big enough property for two houses,” Garcia said.
“So they’ll be able to construct houses there for two different families, and it’s a good location to the schools over there on Main Street and be a good area there for some of the families needing housing. But I wanted to bring awareness and hopefully get some attention from investors willing to look at redevelopment.”
Cindy Wagstaff, the executive director of Garland County Habitat for Humanity, said the property that is being donated had two houses on it in the past.
“That is one of the things that is really helpful, and the most desirable is properties that have had a structure on them in the past because they are already prepped for … building,” she said. “The utilities are there, all of that. And at some point, it was torn down, and it’s just sitting there vacant. So for the neighborhood, it helps improve the neighborhood to put a new structure there, and it improves the property. So it now has improved tax value.”
Garcia said the property she is donating had been condemned and seized by the state for nonpayment of taxes. Due to the condemnation, the city had a lien against the property for the demolition of the property.
“When it went up for auction from the state, no one would buy it because the value of the land itself was less than the total of the back taxes plus the city lien,” Garcia said. “And the cost of demolition liens is a barrier
“It’s a big enough property for two houses.” — Karen Garcia, District 5 city director
to these properties being redeveloped. However, if it is going to a nonprofit or the city … can show that it’s going for housing to help the shortage in affordable housing, then the lien can be waived. That makes it affordable because the property taxes were not that high.”
Garcia said she hopes others will follow her lead and help to provide housing for those in need of it.
“I’m a retiree, and if I can do it, anyone can,” she said. “But I really wanted to be an example. Habitat was running out of properties to develop; they have so many that apply for the housing each year, and they were running out of property to build on. I heard a lady also that was … really trying to get a house for her children. They were all willing to put in their time; she couldn’t afford a traditional path. And we have a number of residents in that same shape that don’t have a place to live, and it’s gotten worse the last couple of years.”
Wagstaff said that while the organization receives between 40 and 50 applications each year, they can only approve five to 10.
“We have to be able to fulfill our promise to the families that are selected,” she said. “We have, if not for the property, we have the capacity to build, on average, about eight houses a year. We have built 10, but usually, the average is about eight homes a year. … It’s worked out the past couple of years that we’ve been able to, you know, fulfill, I think we’ve had four or five each year.”
With Garland County Habitat for Humanity in need of land to continue their mission of providing affordable homes to low- and moderate-income families, Garcia said there are many properties across the city that have been condemned and could be donated affordably.
“I want to encourage others if they want to help in this area and to bring awareness that we have properties to be developed