Date: Fri 11-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Habitat-for-Humanity

Full Text:

Habitat Housing Project Slowed By The Need For Site Work

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Though beset by problems in getting the construction of two affordable houses

underway, the volunteers of Housatonic Habitat for Humanity (HHH) will persist

until they reach their goal of providing safe, modern housing for two low-and

moderate-income families, according to HHH spokesman Roger Authers.

"It's been a long, long tough summer," Mr Authers said of the many problems

the group has encountered in getting home construction started in Newtown.

To make a construction site on Philo Curtis Road suitable for building, much

more earthen fill is needed than had been anticipated, he said.

The town has helped HHH locate the amount and type of fill it needs for the

job, he said. The site slopes down sharply west of Philo Curtis Road, near its

intersection with Riverside Road.

The fill is needed to reduce the slope of the land and make a 15 percent

driveway grade possible, he said. A 15 percent grade is the maximum driveway

grade allowed by the town. A common driveway for the two homes will intersect

with Philo Curtis Road.

Currently, HHH is waiting for a construction company to return to the site to

do grading work on the driveway, Mr Authers said. Such grading is needed

before heavy equipment can gain access to the areas where the two house

foundations will be poured.

Having the construction crew come to the site, grade the driveway and dig the

two foundation holes is complicated by the fact that it is a very busy

construction season in the region, according to Mr Authers.

HHH has chosen one family to live in one of the houses. A family for the

second dwelling will be selected, he said.

HHH would like to have both families living in their new homes by next summer,

but more realistically it could 12 months before that happens in light of the

many delays HHH has experienced with the project during the past several

years, he said.

"We want to see a structure rising from the ground by the end of the year," he

said.

"We're going to get there," he added.

"It demands a lot of patience on a lot of people's part," he said.

One of the two 1,200-square houses to be built will be a Cape style home. The

other will be farmhouse style. Each of the two houses will have full

basements, but no garages.

HHH has raised more than $100,000 toward building the two homes. Donations

have come from area churches, corporations and individuals.

Covenant churches that have signed an agreement to support the home building

project are First Church of Christ Congregational of Redding, The First

Congregational Church of Ridgefield, New Fairfield Congregational Church, St

Paul's Church of Brookfield, St Stephen's Episcopal Church of Ridgefield, and

Trinity Episcopal Church of Newtown.

HHH is an independent, non-profit affiliate of the international Christian

housing ministry Habitat for Humanity based in Americus, Georgia. Volunteers

and low-income families work together using tax-deductible donations of money

and materials to build new homes. Volunteers, churches, businesses and civic

groups donate or help raise funds to purchase materials, tools, services and

labor.

Houses are sold at no profit to families, and no-interest mortgages are issued

over a fixed period. The cost of the homes built is significantly lower than

market value. The small monthly mortgage payments made by participating

families support continuing construction. Homeowners volunteer their labor to

build the home they will live in, according to HHH.

The new homeowner makes a one percent down payment and contributes 400 hours

of "sweat equity" toward the project.

People interested in helping with a home building project are asked to contact

Habitat at 431-1392.