Kermit Rowe, who works part-time with Habitat for Humanity, said with lower monthly housing costs, families can focus on other expenses and provide for the future.
“It gives them something to build as a legacy that they know if they’re just able to make those lower house payments, they’ll have something to pass on to their family one day,” Rowe said.
In accordance with Habitat for Humanity, the New Carlisle family consists of husband and wife Len and Alicia and children Benjamin and Gabby. Len served in the United States Navy on the USS Independence where he was exposed to Agent Orange, causing health problems that forced his wife to care for him. Alicia has volunteered more than 400 hours with Habitat.
The youngest, Benjamin, has slept on the couch for the past seven years in the family’s “cramped two-bedroom house,” according to the nonprofit. Len and Alicia have worked with Habitat for Humanity to learn more about buying a home and taking care of their family’s finances and health.
Credit: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton
Credit: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton
The home will be the first in Clark County outside of Springfield, Rowe said. The organization plans to dedicate five homes to the region this year, when in the past it has been an annual average of 1.5.
Rowe said the land for the new home was donated by the Clark County Land Bank and is the site of the old Madison Elementary.
The nonprofit often uses recycled materials like paint and donated items that come through its ReStore, which takes donations and sells low-cost home improvement items, Rowe said.
The ReStore in Springfield is located at 2990 Derr Road and is open to the public.
During the commission meeting, Mauch emphasized the importance of “sweat equity,” where a person puts in physical work, mental effort and time to achieve a goal like buying a house.
Mauch said before a family receives a home through Habitat of Greater Dayton, they must take classes on finances and topics related to home buying. He said the purpose of this is to train people to be successful independently.
All of the money from the ReStores and the organization’s donations go toward building homes and helping people, Rowe said.
“Every penny we make after we take care of expenses goes back into the community,” Rowe said. “So it’s really a community store with a Habitat name.”
With prices rising in the housing market, more people are struggling to buy homes, Rowe said.
“Now not even lower middle class people can afford a home; it’s getting really tough,” Rowe said.
Rowe said that in Ohio, one in nine people spend 50 percent or more of their income on housing, when financial experts recommend no more than 30 percent. Affordable housing helps people achieve this goal.
“Not only does it allow them to enter that goal; it gives them a way to build their financial future faster,” Rowe said.
Habitat for Humanity is excited to help the veteran finally have a home for the whole family, Rowe said.
“Think about how many years he’s been trying to do this; a veteran who put his life on the line for the country and it took him so long to get a home,” Rowe said. “It’s so great to be able to see that American dream come true before your very eyes.”
The nonprofit is currently finishing construction on a home in Springfield on West Perrin Avenue for a family of five. The keys will be handed over to the owner in a dedication ceremony on June 2 at 12 p.m.
