Habitat for Humanity breaks ground for 10 homes
The 10 new homes being built by eabitat for eumanity of Bucks County in the Penn silla development are really about creating a community and building treasured memories for the people who will live there.
“It’s about creating a hope, not just a house,” bdward eughes, eabitat for eumanity of Bucks County board president, said at a groundbreaking held the morning of Oct. 1.
When the 10 new homes are completed, eabitat for eumanity of Bucks County will have built 97 homes, Florence Kawoczka, the group’s executive director, said.
“There’s some great projects and some great neighborhoods that they have developed and nothing makes a community stronger than a neighborhood,” Rob Loughery, Bucks County Commissioners chairman, said.
In the Penn silla community along Loux Lane, the new townhouses will join the group home and townhouses already built by Penn Foundation. Those 23 residents moved in last year. Parts of the development, including the group home, are in eilltown. Other parts, including the townhouses, are in West Rockhill. The development is off aiamond Street.
:RUk Rn WKH fiUVW FOuVWHU RI fivH RI WKH HDELWDW IRU eumanity townhouses will begin almost immediately and is expected to be completed in about a year. It will include two four-bedroom units and three with three bedrooms.
“7KH fiUVW wRUk dDy [IRU volunteersz I think is actually Oct. 17,” eughes, president of mortgage banking at Univest Bank and Trust Co., said. Other preparatory work will be done before that, he said.
solunteers account for 70 percent of the work on a eabitat for eumanity home, Kawoczka said.
Land work and foundations for both townhouse clusters will be done together because that’s more economical than doing it separately, eughes said, but the clusters will be done separately, with the second one starting next summer or fall.
In the invocation at the groundbreaking, the Rev. Robert eamlin Sr., pastor of Second Baptist Church of aoylestown and a eabitat for eumanity of Bucks County board member, prayed that the new homes will bring a “new beginning for those who stand in need of your help.”
Five of the families that will be moving into the new homes have already been chosen and work is ongoing to pick the rest, Kawoczka said.
“We anticipate by the end of the year we should have 10 IDPLOLHV LdHnWLfiHd,” .Dwoczka said.
The purchase price for the homebuyers will be $119,000 for four-bedroom end units and $114,000 for three-bedroom interior units, according to eabitat for eumanity information. The buyers are also required to put in at least 250 hours of “sweat equity” to help build their home.
Information is available at www.habitatbucks.org.
The purchase price doesn’t cover all the costs of providing the affordable housing, though.
“aays like today wouldn’t be possible without the support, the generous support, of people in the community and organizations that make it up,” eughes said.
Federal funding through Bucks County is helping fund the new townhouses.
Also, Univest will be a Whole eouse sponsor, putting up $110,000, plus providing employee volunteer hours to help build one of WKH WRwnKRuVHV Ln WKH fiUVW cluster.
A “The eouse that Faith Built” campaign seeking to have several faith congregations contribute a combined Whole eouse share is currently in process for one of the second cluster townhouses.
“Our goal is simple: reach out to churches, synagogues and houses of worship to raise the $110,000 needed to build this home. But that is only one aspect of this endeavor; our hope is to engage the members of these faith groups to help us build this home, provide opening devotions, bring lunch for other groups and participate in groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies,” according to a eabi- tat for eumanity release. “Working side by side with the future homeowner, volunteers will be putting in foundations, framing walls, hanging sheetrock, painting and doing all of the other tasks associated with building a home. These tactile experiences are moving and powerful and truly exemplify the call to love and serve our neighbor.”
Additional donors are also being sought.
Along with helping fund the current projects, donors “pay it forward” for future projects, Kawoczka said.
“This won’t be our last project,” she said.
To see video footage from the groundbreaking
ceremony, visit PerkasieNewsHerald.com!