Habitat for Humanity raises the wall

October 19, 2011

Volunteers put up the first wall at a home at Hope Meadows on Oct. 13, the housing development sponsored by Habitat for Humanity.

More than 75 people showed up on Thursday to welcome the Legend and Webb families to the neighborhood.
The families will be the first to occupy homes at the 2-acre Habitat for Humanity-Spokane’s Hope Meadows housing development in Deer Park.
The Webbs and Legends, who will not move into their homes until sometime in 2012, were on hand last week for the “raising of the walls” ceremony at the south Colville Avenue site. Joining them were Habitat, Lowe’s Hardware (a prime sponsor of the project) and city officials.
Funding for the 114-home project came from different sources, including the Washington State Department of Commerce, Spokane County, the federal government’s Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and private donations.
Lowe’s Debbie Yates said her company provided a $30,000 grant for the Deer Park project. She added that Lowe’s has partnered with Habitat for Humanity nationwide for the past seven years.
More than $2 million was spent in infrastructure improvements before actual home construction started.
The Deer Park structures will be a variety of single- and two-story twin homes. They will all be Energy Star rated and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
Habitat for Humanity Director Arlene Patton called Hope Meadows “truly a partnership of opportunity.”
Mayor Robert Whisman said the project was a “great use of this land.”
The Rev. Kurt Langland provided an opening prayer at the ceremony.
Families must go through an application/screening process to be eligible for one of the homes.
Habitat officials estimate it takes 18-24 months from the time a low-income family begins the application process until they move into the home.
Qualified families must donate 500 hours of “sweat equity” and pay the $2,000 in closing costs before they can move into their new home.
Homeowners purchase the home with a zero-interest loan, which they must pay back to Habitat over 20 or 30 years. Monthly payments will be around $400.
Habitat is still taking applications for homes in the Deer Park project. For more information, call Habitat at 534-2552 or visit www.habitat-spokane.org.