In Ovid
At least 60 members of the community gathered in the living room of the Habitat home built for Gabriel, Luther and James Senter on Sunday, January 22nd. All came to offer encouragement and support to the family as they became homeowners for the first time.
Luther, Gabriel and 7-year old James Senter receive the keys to their new home from Michelle Smith, Habitat Board President.
This home was built by Habitat with the support of 13 local churches who provided the major source of funding and volunteer labor. Local contractors and businesses also donated their labor and gifts in kind. Local government, Village, Township and County, provided support. It was truly a full community effort.
All in all, over 180 volunteers worked over 2,400 hours to build this quality and energy-efficient home. Gabriel and Luther worked alongside the volunteers and gave over 500 hours of their own.
The home was not given to the Senters. Habitat’s mission is to provide a hand-up to families who would not otherwise qualify for a conventional mortgage. Donated materials and volunteer labor help to keep the cost of the home reasonable and the family purchases it through an affordable mortgage.
In this case, the mortgage was provided through USDA, Rural Development. The loan provides low closing costs and an affordable monthly payment based on the family’s income. Rural Development works in partnership with rural Habitat affiliates across the country to provide decent and affordable housing.
“We’re so excited to move into our new house,” 7-year old James told the gathering on Sunday. From the warmth and generosity demonstrated at the Dedication and throughout the build, it’s apparent that the rest of the community is excited for you too.
