Habitat for Humanity builds on tradition in Montgomery

Nonprofit’s 24-townhouse project is largest yet

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Chris Rossi⁄The Gazette Romulo Henriquez (left), the future owner of a Habitat for Humanity home, helps Habitat builders construct his house Thursday in Silver Spring. Click here to enlarge this photo Chris Rossi⁄The Gazette Ghebreberhan Mihtsun uses a hammer to pound some nails Thursday while working with members of Habitat for Humanity to build his house at a home site in Silver Spring.

‘‘It’s a great opportunity. We tried to buy a house in other ways but couldn’t,” said Henriquez, a school bus driver who lives in a rented basement with his wife and three children. ‘‘Our dream was slipping away, but when we got in contact with Habitat for Humanity, it was like we woke up from the darkness.”

Habitat, a private nonprofit affordable housing provider, is embarking on a large-scale project that will provide affordable homes to two dozen local families. Those families are required to help with the construction.

Known as Linganore Woods, the 24-townhouse community in Burtonsville is the largest project in the county organization’s history. It will more than double the total number of homes Habitat’s Montgomery County group has built since its inception in 1982. Construction began July 19. The first set of 12 townhouses is expected to be complete by summer 2007 and the final 12 by 2008.

Linganore Woods, located near Silver Spruce Drive off Wexhall Drive, will cost about $3 million. The homes will be built on three and a quarter acres, and will be similar to those nearby.

To keep the project affordable, the three-story homes will be devoid of basements or garages, though they will have two-and-a-half bathrooms.

‘‘Simple, basic, affordable,” said Jeff Nettnin, construction manager with Habitat.

But simple and affordable doesn’t mean shoddy. ‘‘They end up being well built. Everything we put in the house is new. We don’t use junk lumber,” said Lynne Porpiglia, a volunteer crew leader on her third build with the organization.

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of Habitat-built homes is that expenses for most of the families will remain on par with what they currently pay to live in conditions that are drastically below the families’ needs.

The market rate for the townhouses is about $300,000, but the families will have a mortgage of only $140,000 that is paid in monthly interest-free installments, according to Nettnin and Rosemary DiRita, the organization’s Montgomery County director of Volunteers and Family Services.

‘‘For most of the families, the mortgage payment is equal to or less than what they currently pay,” DiRita said.

About 200 people inquired about the first set of 12 Linganore Woods townhouses. Habitat processed about 100 applications, before selecting 14 families, including two backup families. Selection for the final set of 12 homes will begin in 2007.

To qualify for a Habitat home, applicants must currently live in substandard housing and have a need for improved housing. Applicants are required to have lived and⁄or worked in Montgomery County for at least a year, and must show a willingness to partner with Habitat.

Income levels for qualification are based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) guidelines. Applicants must be financially stable and show they can make the mortgage payments.

Habitat for Humanity homes are built primarily by volunteers, along with the future residents. On the first day of construction in Linganore Woods, Habitat was assisted by volunteers from restaurant California Tortilla. The franchise, which also gave the organization $3,500, will periodically provide catered meals to volunteers.

Habitat employees also contribute labor to the building project, and the families moving in are required to contribute 350 hours of ‘‘sweat equity” labor during construction.

For future homeowners like Henriquez, the opportunity to literally build his family’s dream piece by piece makes the experience all the sweeter.

‘‘We go to the project and put our own hands to work to build our own homes. It feels good,” Henriquez said.

Volunteers also are often affected by the work they do.

‘‘I feel I get more out of it than the people getting the house,” Porpiglia said. ‘‘Often you do something and you can’t see the result. With a Habitat build, I can drive past a house and say, ‘I helped build that.’ ”

Henriquez would like to see other families become educated about the possibilities that exist for them.

‘‘Many, many people don’t know that there is help. Habitat for Humanity is opening the doors for people to have their own homes,” Henriquez said.