‘A dream come true’
McLean family thankful to be selected for Habitat for Humanity home
The McLean family is looking forward to making its last-ever move into their “forever home” in a few months.
On Tuesday, Jason and Ann McLean and their four children, 12-year-old Jocelynn, and 10-year-old triplets Angelina, Dallas and Chelsea, were on hand as the hole was dug for the foundation of their new home on Breton Street in Whitney Pier — a project of the Cape Breton chapter of Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia.
“It’s exciting, overwhelming,” said Jason. “We’ve never had anything like this happen to us before.”
“I feel like a kid at Christmas,” Ann added as she watched. “It’s a dream come true for our family.”
Families for Habitat for Humanity homes are selected on the basis of need, their ability to repay a no-down payment, no-interest mortgage, and their commitment to volunteer 500 hours of sweat equity toward their home and community.
“It’s a hand up, not a handout, and I love that motto,” said Jason, who works at Giant Tiger, while Ann is a stay-at-home mom.
Headline for turn: “With Habitat for Humanity, there’s a mortgage but there’s no money up front and there’s no interest, so if the house is valued at $175,000, that’s what we pay back, which is helpful and we know every dollar going in is paying that off.”
The McLean family has already put in more than the 500 hours of sweat equity required and is eager to remain involved throughout the build. Ann noted lots of family members and friends also want to help out.
Having moved several times over the years and having to cope with mould and leak issues where they currently live, Ann said they can’t wait to have their “forever home.”
“It’s the last move we’ll ever have to make. It’s going to be great,” she said, noting they’re looking forward to more space, a yard of their own, and a much bigger kitchen where Jocelynn is looking forward to baking cookies.
Adrian Wilson, chair of the Cape Breton chapter of the Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia, said it feels good to see construction of the house underway.
“It’s nice to see it become a little bit more real than when it’s just a set of plans,” he said. “It’s a bungalow house with four bedrooms. It’s a fairly simple, affordable, energy-efficient house. It’s going to be a nice, livable family home.”
Wilson said the budget for the build is approximately $150,000 — one-third of that is raised by the Cape Breton chapter, onethird comes from donated goods and services, and one-third is raised by Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia.
And with work now started on the home, Wilson said they are reaching out to
community members, professional tradespeople and construction companies to help with the build.
“We are especially looking for skilled tradespeople willing to donate their time as crew leaders to lead our volunteers on the build site,” he said, noting people can sign up to volunteer online at www.habitatns.ca.
Marie-France LeBlanc, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia, was in Whitney Pier for Day 1 of construction and said it’s always exciting to see a new build get started.
“This is all about home ownership,” she said. “There’s a huge responsibility on the families themselves when it comes to partnering with us. It’s not about us giving them a house, it’s about them working with us to achieve their goal of home ownership.”
The house in Whitney Pier will be the second Habitat for Humanity home on the island — the first was completed in Glace Bay in 2013. Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia has built 53 homes throughout the province.