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Habitat
for Humanity helps build house for family ‘It’s not just skills were building, but human relationships’ Come October, a Peterborough family of six will have a home to call its own. With the help of approximately 100 volunteers, the family spent the summer building a raised four-bedroom bungalow on Lake Street. The project is the first house-building endeavor of the Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and District chapter, which became an affiliate of the Canadian organization in September 2002. “It’s a means of providing affordable housing, one house at a time,” says Ken Moffat, chair of the 14-member board of directors for the local Habitat for Humanity. “People become homeowners. It’s a hand up rather than a hand out.” Habitat for Humanity provides “modest, decent and secure homes” for low-income families. Habitat for Humanity is described on its Web site, as an independent, charitable and faith-based organization dedicated to eliminating poverty by providing affordable housing, “a long-term solution designed to break the poverty cycle.” Approximately 30 families locally applied to the organization and the family of six was selected in June. The chosen family is required to contribute 500 hours of “sweat equity” into the project, be willing to partner with the organization and must be of a low-income range. Habitat holds a 20-year interest-free mortgage for the family. Construction began on the empty lot at 176 Lake St., just south of the downtown, on July 18. Volunteers, some skilled labourers and others eager to learn, have dug the foundation and poured the walls for the basement. It’s a slow process, says Ken, noting there will be two weekend building blitzes in August. “This is a learning process for us. It will be a slow build.” Two major corporate sponsors in Peterborough have collectively donated $80,000 towards the project. The City has absorbed some of the expenses, including the cost of a building permit and developer fee, says Ken. Other business owners provided services at cost or waived the fees altogether. People “from all walks of life” have donated their time and skills to the project, he notes. “They learn about us. We learn about them. It’s a very good community-building endeavor,” says Ken. “It’s not just skills were building, but human relationships.” |
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