The Paris News

An even dozen residences and counting is the accomplishment to date of Habitat for Humanity, builders of affordable housing for first time homeowners in Paris since 1995.

The home building organization, which helps build simple, decent and affordable homes for low-income families living in substandard housing, is a Christian-based organization providing what it says is a “hand up” and not a “hand out.”

That 12th home, located at 505 3rd N.W. St., nears completion. It’s being built for Burt and Francis Wood and their two sons.

Every family receiving a Habitat home is responsible for completing a set number hours of volunteer work on another home and their own home before the closing date. The family also is required to have been a resident of Lamar County for at least one year prior to the date of application.

“The people that are selected have to put in 300 hours of their own sweat equity helping build their home,” Habitat executive director Judy Martin said. “But they also need about half of that helping build someone else’s first.”

“People have to realize that when you’re getting a Habitat house, they’re not giving it to you,” Francis Wood said. “You have to work for it.”

Donations, grants and volunteers are what make building Habitat homes possible. If a family can’t afford to pay interest mortgage, but can perform volunteer hours, they are eligible for a Habitat home.

“It helps people get out of poverty housing,” Martin said. “I think in almost every instance, the people are paying less for our homes per month than they were paying in substandard housing.”

“We have a mortgage, it goes just like any other house,” Wood said. “It’s yours after you finish paying for it.”

Many retirees have found themselves participating in Habitat for Humanity. They utilize their skills by helping a family in need build a better suited and safer residence.

“We have the best volunteers in the world,” Martin said. “They’re all there because they want to help and they give up their time.”

Many volunteers are needed when building a Habitat home; laying the foundation, lifting up the walls, putting the roof on and placing windows. Those are just the obvious jobs. Then dry wall needs to be applied, along with the ceiling, carpet, counters, doors and much more. There are tons of little jobs that aren’t thought of unless it comes time to do them.

That’s why the volunteers are appreciated. They are the ones starting and completing these tasks on the home along with the future homeowner.

“We’re improving the neighborhoods,” Martin said. “It seems like once we go in and start working, other people around kind of start cleaning up their areas.”

Habitat for Humanity not only benefits the home receiver, but also the volunteers and the surrounding neighborhoods as well. When a person buys or works for something on their own, they tend to take better care of it. This goes for just about every materialistic item out there. Martin said she is pleased to see how the past Habitat home recipients maintain their homes.

“They’re all maintaining them all real well,” Martin said. “Because of them having to put in the hours and helping build it, they know everything that went into the house. Our houses are not fancy, but they are well built,” Martin added. “They are neat looking; they’re safe and the families take pride in them.”

“It makes you proud to know that you even toted a plank, or a two by four, or to help build your own house,” Wood said.

The next Habitat home is to be built for Lametria Wallace and her family.

Throughout the process, Habitat offers family support meetings once a month to address issues residents may have, such as home maintenance and finances. There also are classes to teach people how to be a homeowner.

Each month a board of directors meets to make decisions regarding Habitat. Members are all volunteers and meet once a month every third Thursday. “Right now we have 17 on the board of directors,” Martin said.

“We are a Christian organization. We fly the Christian flag and the American flag every day that we work,” Martin said. Lunch is served by a group of volunteers each day a Habitat home is worked on. Workers have prayer and gather around for a lunch break.

The Habitat office is located at 1055 Clarksville, Suite 165, which is provided by Paris Regional Medical Center rent free. Most office furniture and equipment was donated from local businesses, including Gary Brown and Reep’s Furniture, Lamar Electric Coop along with Barry Murchison, Norm and Patsy Davis, Liberty National Bank, John and Ruby Parker, N.B. Nation and Calvary United Methodist Church.

When asked if Habitat would consider building two houses at a time, Martin said, “If we had the money and volunteers.”

After a Habitat home is completed, “Campbell Soup Company stocks every pantry for us with $150 worth of products,” Martin said. “Whirlpool puts a brand new refrigerator and stove in every Habitat house in the United States. Now, that’s a lot of houses.” And not to mention, a lot of money invested in the organization as well.

People around Paris and surrounding communities donate land to Habitat for Humanity, but since the organization only builds within Paris city limits, Habitat takes the donated property and sells it for more money to build homes. Currently, the group is negotiating the sale of property just outside Paris.

“If we could get this property sold, we could have the money to build two more houses. We just want to keep doing what we’re doing; putting people in homes,” Martin said. “One house at a time, that’s all we can do.”

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