Community Corner

Habitat for Humanity Building 12 Homes in Dearborn

Volunteers will begin construction of three homes on the west side of Neckel Street in May.

There's no place like home, and for some lucky families, that dream will soon become a reality with the help of Habitat for Humanity Detroit.

The charitable housing group announced on Tuesday that ground will be broken later this month on the first of 12 construction sites in East Dearborn.

"We're excited to be partnering with Dearborn," Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat said.

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The project is the first time in 26 years that Habitat will branch outside of Detroit, Tilford said. Habitat is partnering with the city of Dearborn and ACCESS to complete the project.

Barry Murray, economic and community development director for Dearborn, said the houses will be built on vacant 60-foot lots the city purchased with federal dollars it received through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and Wayne County's HOME Investment Partnerships Program.

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In some instances, two 30-foot lots were combined to create one lot, while other lots may be larger or smaller than 60 feet due to their location in relation to nearby properties.

Homes are intended for military veterans and survivors of domestic abuse, Murray said.

The sites include the west side of Neckel south of Gould Street; the northwest corner of Neckel and Diversey streets; and the west side of Maple Street, north of Diversey. The second set of six houses will be on Hartwell Street, north of Michigan Avenue and west of Oakman Boulevard.

Sandra Cobb, chief of community development for Habitat, said applicants have to provide proof of income and make at least $10.60 an hour or $22,000 a year to qualify for a home. That number can include job income, child support, disability payments, Social Security, and Section 8 funding.

The 1,232 square foot brick, ranch-style houses will include unfinished basements, four bedrooms, vaulted living room/dining room ceilings, energy-efficient refrigerators, a fenced yard, and "heat on demand" tankless water heaters.

"The houses are built with the hands of volunteers, but I'll put these homes up against any other contractor's work,” Dan Garan, Habitat for Humanity construction manager said. "We build a very high-quality home with a goal that when the family moves in, they can grow the home to fit their needs in the future."

Tilford said it typically takes 90 to 110 days to build a house with roughly 10 or more volunteers.

In response to legal questions about a home's construction, Garan said all electric and plumbing work will be handled by certified companies.

How to volunteer to help build a house

While many groups, including some Dearborn firefighters, expressed interest in volunteering, Tilford said volunteers won't be needed until at least May.

Beginning next week Habitat workers will begin excavation work on the first house's basement. Two weeks after that, construction will begin. The team will stagger construction of the first six homes three weeks apart.

Volunteers must sign up at habitatdetroit.org. To check when volunteer opportunities are available, users must create an account and register for specific times on the Habitat Detroit calendar. Once construction starts, 10 to 15 volunteers are needed per day for construction, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

"In order to make sure the process goes smoothly, we can't just have people showing up to the construction site," Cobb said.

Volunteers can assist with construction, landscaping, painting, carpentry, and other tasks.

"We also need people to run our First Aid station and provide food for the volunteers," Cobb said.

Volunteers must be at least 14 to volunteer, and at least 16 to help with construction. Children ages 16 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult to work on the construction site. All tools and training will be provided.

"Experience in home remodeling or construction is a plus, but we will work with anyone who wants to volunteer their time," Cobb said.

For more information, visit habitatdetroit.org.


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