Habitat for Humanity of Highland County has received a piece of property, courtesy of the village of Lynchburg, on which to build a new Habitat for Humanity home for a local family.
Local Habitat board president Richard Warner – who is also the Lynchburg police chief – said there are currently five Habitat houses in Highland County: two in Hillsboro, two in Greenfield, and one at Rocky Fork Lake. It has been about five years since the last Habitat home was built, he said, but it has been a goal of the local organization to build in other communities in the county.
Warner said that in some cases, lots have been donated, in others the organization has had to purchase a property on which to build. But the bottom line, he said, was that the more that is donated on each project, the better.
Warner said that the village had a parcel of land it wanted to sell. He said there were several lots that already weren’t selling and Mayor Terry Burden said he’d just as soon see the land used for something like Habitat rather than sitting there unsold. It was through a recent action by the village that the property was officially donated to the organization.
According to Warner, Habitat puts up all the money for a build at the beginning. The organization raises money for each build, and the homeowner works alongside volunteers as the home is built, investing what the organization calls “sweat equity” into their future home.
The homeowner’s 20-year mortgage is interest-free and is paid back to Habitat. According to the organization, the mortgage payments help to fund future builds.
“Our goal is to give people a hand up, not a handout,” according to the organization in a press release.
Also in that press release, the local Habitat organization said the property is located on Hastings Drive in Glenavy Hills. Members are “excited about the opportunity to build a future Habitat home in Lynchburg.” And if fundraising for the project goes as planned, the goal is to break ground for that home is in the spring of 2017.
Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 and its vision, according to the website, is “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” And across the globe, communities come together and volunteers work with future homeowners to build affordable and safe housing, according to the organization.
“It’s so good to see the community involvement,” Warner said, adding that he’s “anxious” to see how Lynchburg residents turn out to lend a hand in the upcoming build.
Anyone wanting to help make the dream of home ownership a reality for a deserving family in Highland County can make a donation to the cause. Checks can be made payable to Habitat for Humanity of Highland County Ohio and mailed to P.O. Box 488, Hillsboro, OH 45133 or dropped off at Habitat’s New to You store location at 160 W. Main St. in Hillsboro on Tuesdays from 4-7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information call 937-403-1257, visit the organization’s website at highlandhabitat.org, or visit the organization’s Facebook page. For information on Habitat across the country and the globe, go to www.habitat.org.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
