There is a new subdivision coming to Harford County. Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna purchased land back in 2017 right at the gateway to the historic district of Havre de Grace. Soon it will be the home of 7 families.
"I'm just ready to finally become a homeowner. I feel like I've come a long way." Juel certain has. As a single mom she is helping to build her future home, from the ground up.
"About seventy percent of our home buyers just happen to be single moms. They're the most likely to be living in poverty, so it's very difficult. It is a struggle to find decent homes that they can afford. The way our economy is built, it makes more sense for a builder to build a high-end home because of the profit margin that comes along with that." explained Yvonne Golczewski, Executive Director Habitat For Humanity Susquehanna "Fair market rent in this area for a three-bedroom apartment is about $1800 a month. You need to make about $72k a year in order to be able to afford that. So all of our families are living in substandard conditions."
Conditions no one would want to live in. But it happens in our area more than you may realize. We walked with Juel through what will soon be her very own home. The first subdivision completed by Habitat Susquehanna. It will not only be a space of her own, but it will also provide Juel and her son with a healthy environment.
"I was a renter and the conditions of the house that we were living in just weren't the best. It had chipping paint, mold, and due to like health concerns with my son, we had went and tried to have that resolved but it just wasn't getting resolved, so the living conditions just weren't the greatest."
Jeul was looking for help and found it, "I came across Habitat for Humanity while trying to look for an affordable mortgage. They work very hard for these homes."
As a team Habitat for Humanity and Juel work together to help her gain the skills needed to become a successful homebuyer, "They put in two hundred and fifty hours of sweat equity to help build their home. They take financial literacy courses, there are six of them that are required, and they put down a down payment and they pay a mortgage. So this is a hand up not a handout," Golczewski said.
"The first time I came out and swung the hammer or got experience working on a house it was really exciting and really fun. I learned flooring, roofing, a lot of different things um. How to avoid plumbing bills for things like you can repair yourself. They walk you through everything before you start to do something, and it's just good to learn what goes into building your home."
Like all Habitat for Humanity projects, it was accomplished through many partnerships. From finding a landowner willing to sell affordably to an army of sponsors and volunteers. Homes here are appraised at $250,000, but the mortgage homeowners pay is based on their income. This means homeowners pay no more than a third of their monthly income for this housing.
The subdivision also gained approval from the Maryland Historical Trust to make sure it fits with the character of this long-standing community, "We are so excited um about this subdivision, and we hope to have the opportunity to be able to do more in the future."
"I appreciate my house a lot just from having to build it from the ground up. It gives me a sense of pride and something I can call my own."
To learn how you can help visit Susquehanna Habitat for Humanity.
