June 28, 2023
AmeriCorps NCCC to join Habitat Archuleta for the 2023 Summer of Service
Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County will host our first ever AmeriCorps team this summer.
Habitat Archuleta staff applied for an AmeriCorps’s National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team last fall, in hopes of landing some extra hands for our projects this summer. These AmeriCorps NCCC members will work alongside our usual crew of core jobsite volunteers, our partner families, and a few high school interns from the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation’s (PSCDC) RUN program, “Reskill, Upskill, New Skill.”
AmeriCorps NCCC places an emphasis on service learning, in which their members are able to see the impact of their volunteer hours firsthand.
The NCCC, pronounced “N triple C,” is one program under the AmeriCorps umbrella. NCCC teams are typically groups of eight to 12 that work on a project site for six to 12 weeks. Seven of these teams of young adults, all part of the NCCC’s Summer of Service Program, are currently training at the AmeriCorps campus in Aurora, Colorado before disbursing to projects throughout the western United States. Archuleta County is the only Summer of Service location in Colorado this year.
AmeriCorps NCCC is traditionally a full-time, 10-month program in which members serve at least 1,700 hours. Summer of Service is an abbreviated version of traditional AmeriCorps NCCC, allowing college students and others without 10 months available to serve, to spend their summer traveling somewhere new and making a difference in that community—and the timeline fits our build season perfectly.
Habitat Archuleta will work with eight AmeriCorps NCCC members 5 days a week throughout July, plus a week on either side in June and August. The members will work on our job site four days a week, and spend Mondays on a construction project at Restoration Fellowship. And four days per week, a few members will also lend a hand at the new Community Food Pantry of Pagosa Springs, located at 2800 Cornerstone Drive Unit A1 where Sears used to be.
Katherine Solbert and the group of volunteers who manage the food pantry recently outgrew their space at Restoration Fellowship and joined forces with even more community members as they moved to the new location this spring. The food pantry is open Mondays 11-1, Wednesdays 4-6, Thursdays 11-1, and Fridays 10-12. Historically this group has served about 750 families per month or 2600 individuals. Solbert expects that number to continue to rise in this new space.
Winning this AmeriCorps team was a community effort. Restoration Fellowship is providing lodging for the NCCC members throughout their 6-week stay in Pagosa Springs. Pagosa Lakes Property Owner’s Association (PLPOA) has generously donated the use of shower facilities at the recreation center, just a short distance away from our three build sites in the PLPOA this summer.
To learn more about AmeriCorps NCCC program you can hear from Habitat Archuleta staff and the NCCC team leader, Madison Van Duzer, on KWUF radio at 106.1 FM or 1400 AM with Executive Director, Mary Jo Coulehan during the Chamber of Commerce’s “Good Morning Pagosa” show on July 12 at 8:05 a.m.
With the grant support Habitat Archuleta received from Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board, we will provide several meals for the NCCC team during their stay. The AmeriCorps members coming to Pagosa Springs are from all over the country and are excited to lend a hand in our community.
During a site visit in May Assistant Program Director, Catherine Trumpis, indicated that the collaboration between several organizations bumped our application to the top of the pile. Habitat Archuleta is grateful to partner with Restoration Fellowship, PLPOA, PSCDC, the local tourism board, and food bank for their help getting this AmeriCorps NCCC team to our community.
We cannot thank our community enough on behalf of our homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Habitat Archuleta projects are a combination of volunteer labor, subcontractors, in-kind donation of products and services, and homeowner sweat equity. Habitat families work alongside volunteers to build their home and pay an affordable mortgage.
Watch our Thank You Advertisements to find out who in your community is supporting affordable home ownership! Starting June 20, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM. Please call (970) 264-6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you come to volunteer so we can plan for how many hands will be on deck.
10/07/2022 – Article 9 Mortgage Meetings at Habitat Archuleta
Throughout the summer Executive Director, Lori Henricksen, and Homeowner Services Coordinator, Leah Ballard, met with 2023 Habitat Homeownership Program applicants to determine financial ability and readiness for homeownership in our community.
By the end of June, applicants had completed a mortgage application, and supplied all required supporting documentation for a USDA Rural Development loan—which includes obtaining their own consumer credit report. The process to receive a home mortgage through the USDA is more thorough than a conventional mortgage qualification but offers advantages for homebuyers in rural communities.
Habitat Archuleta is one of few Rural Development (RD) loan packaging offices on the Western Slope of Colorado. In years past, Habitat Archuleta has packaged RD loans for applicants purchasing existing homes in La Plata, Montezuma, and Archuleta County in addition to our annual Habitat builds.
The Department of Agriculture will fund primary home purchases throughout all of Archuleta County, and much of the Four Corners Area. Because qualified applicants can obtain 100% financing without having to pay monthly mortgage insurance, the loans are similar to those offered by Veteran’s Affairs (VA) except income limits apply on RD loans.
Direct loans come with an optional repayable subsidy, 33- and 38-year terms accommodate lower allowable debt ratios than conventional loans.
The USDA Direct Loan program closely matches the workforce homeownership goals that Habitat Archuleta holds, as the income limit is capped at 80% of area median income as defined by HUD. For a household of up to four people in Archuleta County, that annual income cap for this year is $57,750. For households of five to eight people, the annual income cap is $86,800.
It is not a hard-fast income limit as various deductions apply, so don’t let that number stop you if you’re interested in homeownership.
Even if you aren’t pursuing a Habitat Home in Pagosa Springs, you can still contact our office for information on obtaining a construction or mortgage loan, credit counseling, or homebuyer education.
Our Habitat application process begins over a year in advance. This year, those not selected to be Habitat Homeowners may still pursue a USDA direct loan for use in the conventional real estate market. Applicants receive a Certificate of Eligibility from the USDA for a determined maximum purchase price before going out to look at properties.
The pursuit of homeownership can be a steep learning curve for many. Our office has been able to increase our capacity by utilizing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which our county commissioners dedicated to affordable homeownership in Archuleta County. Thanks to those funds, we have a dedicated Homeowner Services Coordinator to help dissolve the mystery of credit worthiness for the wider community.
If you have questions on homeownership or want to get involved, contact us. Starting September 23, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 3:30 PM to get done before the snow flies. Please call (970) 264-6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands will be on deck.
09/29/2022 – Article 8 Habitat Archuleta: Time to rope in some volunteers
What an incredible week. Not only did we get some rain to add a little drama to our Difference Maker’s Build Day Lunch & Learn, but we had clear blue skies for Crane Day when our indieDwell modular units were delivered! Then we ended the week with wine, women, and song at our Hats Off to Habitat Ladies Luncheon.
Now, as you can see from our Preview cover photo, we’re ready to rope in more volunteers. As we speak, volunteers are shoring up a four-foot pony wall in the crawl space under those shrink-wrapped modules you can see out on North Pagosa Boulevard.
In the next few days our Construction Supervisor, Jeff Bouwer, is completing the Set & Stitch on the modules, as one of very few contractors in the area certified to do so.
Once Jeff and our volunteers have finished bolting the roof seams and weld-plates in place, volunteer welder, James Rice will permanently affix our modules to the foundations. But don’t worry—there’s still plenty of work if you’re ready to come out and get your hands dirty.
In the coming weeks we’ll set roof trusses, and then lay the roof sheathing. Metal for the roof is set to arrive in early October, from our friends in the San Luis Valley (between hunting trips, of course).
In the meantime, you can be among the lucky volunteers to unveil these modules, as we begin to hang siding and wainscoting. We’ll also have some indoor-outdoor projects and painting once the Set & Stitch is inspected.
You don’t need experience or a big group to come help out! Our lead volunteer, Larry Parks is happy to show you the ropes. But if your business is interested in sending a crew out, now is the time to give us a call!
To find out what tasks happen when, email Debbie at office@habitatarchuleta.org to join our mailing list. We’ll need all hands on deck to get these builds done before the snow flies—and hopefully Amber and Jennifer will have one jam-packed Thanksgiving table this year!
While we typically like to work in groups of up to twelve people, this fall we’ll take all the volunteers who’ll fit in our two 960 square-foot units! For those of you who thought we were putting two families of three in those cute little 12X24-foot buildings—those are the garages. Yes, we hear the rumors! Habitat Archuleta isn’t jumping on the tiny-house bandwagon anytime soon, nor the recycled container-home trend. These are high quality, steel frame, Energy Star rated modular homes for our affordable housing inventory—and if you want to get a sneak peek on what these indieDwell units are all about, be sure to wear gloves, and come lend a hand!
That sneak peek was one way we lured so many stakeholders out to the jobsite for our Difference Maker’s Build Day Lunch & Learn last Thursday, despite torrential downpour. Habitat Archuleta is the pilot program for these high-quality modular units. Pagosa is the first in the state to boast a single-family home from indieDwell, a nonprofit manufacturer in Pueblo, Colorado.
We hosted affordable housing advocates from all over the state, as well as a handful of our local stakeholders like Town Council and County Commissioners, our Chamber of Commerce, the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation, and Archuleta School District.
Habitat Colorado Executive Director, Karen Kallenberg, and Colorado’s USDA Single Family Homes Director, Terry Shek also came out to see the homes. Terry and Karen are major contributors to funds made available to our community—for both new and existing homes.
Apart from showing our progress, the Lunch & Learn was meant to facilitate deeper partnerships with the businesses and non-profit organizations in our community. Our goal was to educate local stakeholders and advocates on what we’re doing, so we can all work together to pursue bigger projects going forward.
We heard it was a job well done, despite the mud. Our regional Colorado Housing & Finance Authority (CHFA) representative, Chris Lopez, came prepared with his work gloves but was disappointed the Build portion of the day got rained out. If you see him out at the job site in these next few weeks, ask him to put in a good word for our Direct Effect Award application.
Habitat Archuleta Homes are a combination of volunteer labor, subcontractor contributions, in-kind donation of products and services, and homeowner sweat equity. Habitat families work alongside volunteers to build their home and pay an affordable mortgage.
These hours and efforts will be appreciated for generations by our workforce homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Contact us to see how you can get involved Starting September 21, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM to get it done before the snow flies. Please call (970)264-6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands will be on deck.
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09/22/2022 – Article 7
Hats and Houses: Habitat Archuleta Flying High
Hats off to Habitat is sold out! Nearly 120 tickets have been sold, but the fundraising keeps going with the silent auction at the event. We have received so much support from our community, and the phone keeps ringing with folks looking to donate auction items.
Live acts to be enjoyed between gossip are provided by musician, Tim Sullivan and speaker Laura Moore. And if you’ve ever wondered at a line dance which step comes next, take your hat off and hang on tight to keep up with The Pagosa Line Dancers. They’ll be leading an exhibition and lesson before the lunch but after the wine, participation encouraged.
Our annual fundraising event happened to land on the very same week as the Difference Maker’s Build Day “Lunch & Learn,” and the delivery of our indieDwell modular units. To say we’ve been busy is an understatement.
This week we hosted affordable housing advocates from all over Colorado, as well as some of our community stakeholders at the job site for the state-wide Difference Maker’s Build—just days after the delivery of our very first modular units. The phrase “biting off more than you can chew,” comes to mind but you can rest assured, we put on a good show.
With the help of our newest board member, Cayce Brown, we hired photographer, Justin Treptow, and drone videographer, Gunnar Bergkamp, to capture all the events of the week. As one of 25 Habitat affiliates in the state, Habitat Archuleta is leading the way with these steel frame modular units for our workforce—and all the other affiliates are waiting to see if they’d like to follow suit. The neighbors weren’t the only ones keeping an eye on what flew overhead last Tuesday.
With some relief to have that process done, we’ll be taking off all the hats we wear at Habitat Archuleta and letting loose at our annual Ladies’ Luncheon this Saturday. We have a lot to celebrate, and we’ve been looking forward to rubbing elbows with a few of our “cowgirl” supporters.
Both the food and the drink (adult and otherwise) have been donated by our community, so the list of contributors is long. Watch for our Thank You Ad next week for a list of local merchants and store fronts who’ve supported the pursuit of affordable home ownership in your community—they too deserve your support.
Giddyup! It’s time to celebrate.
Tickets to Hats Off to Habitat are sold out. If the other cowboys in town need something to do, they can mosey on out to the job site from 8 AM to 2:30 PM on North Pagosa Blvd, Tuesday through Saturday until the snow flies. For more information on volunteering with us, call or email the office at (970) 264-6960 or office@habitatarchuleta.org
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Habitat-photo-6-Tusa-house-27-in-2019-
Article 6 – Mortgage Meetings at Habitat Archuleta
Throughout the summer Executive Director, Lori Henricksen, and Homeowner Services Coordinator, Leah Ballard, met with 2023 Habitat Homeownership Program applicants to determine financial ability and readiness for homeownership in our community.
By the end of June, applicants had completed a mortgage application, and supplied all required supporting documentation for a USDA Rural Development loan—which includes obtaining their own consumer credit report. The process to receive a home mortgage through the USDA is more thorough than a conventional mortgage qualification but offers advantages for homebuyers in rural communities.
Habitat Archuleta is one of few Rural Development (RD) loan packaging offices on the Western Slope of Colorado. In years past, Habitat Archuleta has packaged RD loans for applicants purchasing existing homes in La Plata, Montezuma, and Archuleta County in addition to our annual Habitat builds.
The Department of Agriculture will fund primary home purchases throughout all of Archuleta County, and much of the Four Corners Area. Because qualified applicants can obtain 100% financing without having to pay monthly mortgage insurance, the loans are similar to those offered by Veteran’s Affairs (VA) except income limits apply on RD loans.
Direct loans come with an optional repayable subsidy, 33- and 38-year terms accommodate lower allowable debt ratios than conventional loans.
The USDA Direct Loan program closely matches the workforce homeownership goals that Habitat Archuleta holds, as the income limit is capped at 80% of area median income as defined by HUD. For a household of up to four people in Archuleta County, that annual income cap for this year is $57,750. For households of five to eight people, the annual income cap is $86,800.
It is not a hard-fast income limit as various deductions apply, so don’t let that number stop you if you’re interested in homeownership.
Even if you aren’t pursuing a Habitat Home in Pagosa Springs, you can still contact our office for information on obtaining a construction or mortgage loan, credit counseling, or homebuyer education.
Our Habitat application process begins over a year in advance. This year, those not selected to be Habitat Homeowners may still pursue a USDA direct loan for use in the conventional real estate market. Applicants receive a Certificate of Eligibility from the USDA for a determined maximum purchase price before going out to look at properties.
The pursuit of homeownership can be a steep learning curve for many. Our office has been able to increase our capacity by utilizing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which our county commissioners dedicated to affordable homeownership in Archuleta County. Thanks to those funds, we have a dedicated Homeowner Services Coordinator to help dissolve the mystery of credit worthiness for the wider community.
If you have questions on homeownership or want to get involved, contact us. Starting September 23, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM to get done before the snow flies. Please call (970) 264-6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands will be on deck.
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Article 5 – 5 things you thought you knew about Habitat Archuleta
Habitat for Humanity builds homes internationally.
True, but Archuleta has its very own affiliate right next door to the grocery store downtown. We have built 28 affordable homes in 28 years, right here in Pagosa Springs. We have grown from an all-volunteer operation, today we employ two full time employees, three part time employees, and we are fortunate to have nine dedicated board members.
Habitat Archuleta builds houses.
True, but we don’t just build houses, our job goes way beyond the framing and roofing. We assist applicants in obtaining a mortgage, repairing credit history, and maintaining a home.
We ensure that applicants have reliable income to afford homeownership and assign deed restrictions to the home these families help build. Habitat future homeowner’s complete homebuyer education, and “good neighbor” classes.
As a team, our future homeowners, local contractors and volunteers are adding houses to the affordable inventory by the sweat of their brow, as well as their financial commitment.
Habitat Archuleta gives houses away.
False! Habitat homeowners purchase their home with an affordable mortgage. Homeowners must meet credit and income requirements, and put in 250 hours of sweat equity, physically building the home alongside volunteers.
Once in the home, Habitat homeowners cannot rent their home, and if future circumstances result in them needing to move, Habitat Archuleta has first right to purchase the home so we can re-sell it to another workforce family. Additional deed restrictions help keep the home in the affordable inventory.
Habitat Archuleta builds affordable housing.
Yes and no: Our focus is workforce homeownership, not simply affordability.
That means our board considers not just their financial need, but that homeownership makes a family more vested in our community. Our focus is to support our community workforce, and those who contribute to making this town such a great place. Habitat Homeowners fill important jobs that keep our community working:
-servers
-teachers & paraprofessionals
-public health and safety employees
-custodians & house keepers
-property managers
-hospital workers
-retail managers and workers
-raft guides and other tourism employees
Habitat just got a bunch of money from a billionaire.
True and false! Habitat for Humanity International received a generous donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who directed the funds to certain affiliates in larger cities and specific funds. Habitat Archuleta homes are funded by grants and donations from our community, as well as the homeowner’s sweat equity and an affordable mortgage,
We receive cash, time and product donations from local donors and volunteers. Local contractors and businesses provide products and services, and land has been donated by public and private supporters.
Swing by the office or give us a call if you’re curious about donating, volunteering, or applying to be a Habitat homeowner. These hours and efforts will be appreciated for generations by our workforce homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Contact us to see how you can get involved.
Starting September 27, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM in an effort to get it done before the snow flies. Please call (970) 264-6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands will be on deck.
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09/12/2022-Article 4
Family Visits in August for 2023 Habitat Builds
Now that administrative staff have done the light work of pre-qualifying Habitat Hopefuls for a USDA mortgage loan, the Family Selection Team does the heavy lifting of choosing who gets housed first.
By this point in the process, applicants have completed their mortgage loan application and submitted all supporting documentation in June of 2022, over a year before the proposed move-in date.
Habitat Archuleta Executive Director, Lori Henricksen, and the newest member of the team, Homeowner Services Coordinator, Leah Ballard, reviewed the applications and held initial meetings with all 28 applicants to discuss the finance side of things in July.
To become a Habitat Homeowner this year, applicants must financially qualify to pay a mortgage to cover our cost to build with donations and discounts, plus ten percent. And before the loan is closed, the staff at Habitat Archuleta pursue grant funds on behalf of the homeowners, to bring the total cost of the home down further, sometimes an additional $30,000.
Because our cost to build includes volunteer labor and donated materials, homeowners are also beholden to deed restrictions attached to the property. Deed restrictions are intended to protect the investment our community has made, while also being in the best interest of the homeowner. If a Habitat Family ends up being first-time homebuyers, rather than forever-home buyers, both scenarios fall within our objective at Habitat Archuleta. However, the purchase is more advantageous if the family stays put for the life of the loan.
Once we’ve sifted through the paperwork, applicants are asked if they’d like to continue the process—not everyone says yes. After our initial meeting, some folks feel they aren’t yet ready for homeownership and decide to hold off for one more year. Many families apply more than once.
Those who choose to move forward are scheduled for a family visit with our Family Selection Team. This year, the number of finalists has tripled. We received more than 30 inquiries for our three 2023 Habitat builds, and 10 families have decided to continue with the process.
This month, three of our board members have scheduled visits to meet the whole family, ten times over. Between work, council meetings, and regular life—Barbra Swindlehurst, Cindy Schultz, and Aileen Roth are booked every night this month!
For the applicants, it is surely a nerve-racking scenario, but the visit is meant to be a casual. Applicants are asked about their current living situation and given another opportunity to ask more questions about the Habitat process. The children are given the opportunity to entertain, which they did not have a chance to do at the mortgage meeting.
The Family Visit is meant to ensure that decisions are not just based on ink and paper, but financial ability must come in to play. Our job is to ensure we’re putting folks in Habitat Homes who are ready to own a home—ability to maintain upkeep, debt repayment, and community involvement are all pieces of homeownership we consider.
Notes from the home visits are presented to the rest of our board the following month. The board will make a decision on our 2023 builds in September.
Some families may still choose to wait at this juncture, for personal financial stability, or hold out for a larger lot to be available or hope for more grant funds in years to come that may close the gap between the home they need and a home they can afford to buy.
As thrilling as it is to deliver good news to the families who are selected, it is not an easy job to discern who joins our Habitat Family first.
Habitat Archuleta Homes are a combination of volunteer labor, subcontractor contributions, in-kind donation of products and services, and homeowner sweat equity. Habitat families work alongside volunteers to build their home and pay an affordable mortgage.
These hours and efforts will be appreciated for generations by our workforce homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Contact us to see how you can get involved. Starting September 21, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM, we need get ‘er done before the snow flies. Please call 970.264.6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands-on-deck.
08/29/2022-Article3
Hats off to Habitat, Ladies’ Luncheon
Join us Saturday, September 24 for our annual fundraiser, “Hats off to Habitat.”
The event is from 11AM to 2 PM at the PLPOA clubhouse on Port Avenue. Tickets are sold in advance only. For $350, purchase a table of 8 for you and your gal pals or purchase individual seats for $50 apiece.
The event is Western themed, so wear your big bucket cowboy hat and your finest snakeskin boots. A Best Dressed door prize will go to the best cowgirl getup of the afternoon.
We will provide a nice lunch with wine, and you can visit with your girlfriends without having to entertain the men—but bring your best guy’s billfold, we’ll have lots of opportunities to donate.
We recruited a real cowboy to entertain live music will be provided by Tim Sullivan.
Friends of Habitat Archuleta, Mary Tighe and Nancy Ford are touring our downtown and uptown store fronts in search of donations for the silent auction at the event.
Other rogue members of our community are finishing up original art works to donate to the auction. We’re anticipating framed paintings, Zentangle works, handmade quilts, and even a piece from our favorite local muralist (though we’re hoping it’ll fit through the door frame) to be available for purchase at the event next month.
Our signature Habitat Birdhouses will of course be featured for auction. The materials and craftsmanship for the birdhouses are always donated by longtime local, Jim Dorian. And if you know Kate Crawford, chances are you’ll be commissioned to paint one of Jim’s creations. If you don’t own one yet, be sure to get your bid in—we can never have too many ‘Habitat Homes’ around here.
Cash, check, and credit cards are accepted for the silent auction at the event. All proceeds go directly to Habitat Archuleta.
Keep an eye out for our banner on Main Street mid-September, and the flyers soon-to-be posted around town. Both are the work of our Community Development Corporation funded apprentice, Libby Girardin.
And if that special cowboy in your life needs something to do while you’re gone, he can mosey on out to the job site for the day, from 8 AM to 2:30 PM on North Pagosa Blvd.
To purchase tickets or for more information, call or email the office at 970.264.6960 or office@habitatarchuleta.org
08/29/2022 – Article 2
From Excavation to Garages: Habitat Archuleta update
As many builders can attest to, infrastructure costs are a common challenge when it comes to building affordable housing. This was one challenge Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County faced early in the building process this year on North Pagosa Blvd.
We had two major projects to complete before starting on the two homes we are building: adding a cul de sac to accommodate the driveways, and a sewer mainline. Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District provided materials for the sewer line, and our excavator is contributing discounted excavation services to get both jobs done.
With that infrastructure in place, the next step was foundations for the modular homes and garages. Once again, a local contractor stepped in with an abundance of generosity to complete the foundations. The “stick-built” garages went up with the help of local volunteers as we dodged much needed thunderstorms!
Just like other builders, we are dealing with delays from “supply chain issues.” The expected delivery date for our modular homes has been moved to September 20—when we’ll be reaching out to local volunteers to help put the finishing touches (roof, siding, porches) on the homes.
Amber and Jennifer, our future homeowners, and their families have started their “sweat equity” hours, getting a lesson in construction. When Amber came in to sign her USDA mortgage loan documents, she was thrilled with what she was learning on the build site, commenting “That jack hammer is a lot harder than it looks!”
Habitat future homeowners are required to contribute 250 hours of “Sweat Equity” in building their home alongside our volunteers. Their teenagers can also pitch in on these hours, with age -appropriate building tasks or even babysitting for the younger children of this year’s homeowners. Homebuyer education hours also count toward this requirement, as well as attending any “good neighbor” classes hosted by the Pagosa Lakes Property Owner’s Association.
Habitat Archuleta homes are a combination of volunteer labor, subcontractors, in-kind donation of products and services, and homeowner sweat equity. Habitat families work alongside volunteers to build their home and pay an affordable mortgage.
These hours and efforts will be appreciated for generations by our workforce homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Contact us to see how you can get involved. Starting September 21, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM. Please call 970.264.6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands-on-deck.
08/22/2022 – Article 1
HFHAC Updates – Foundations set
Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County has begun construction on two homes to be completed this fall. This week—its muddy. Despite this monsoon rain we’ve been busy at your local Habitat, working toward our commitment to build 15 homes in five years.
The push to build more, faster, was always a goal for board member, Paul Lehman. While all the members of our board supported the idea, a million-dollar annual budget would be a huge undertaking for our rural office.
Even as we’ve had a couple years to wrap our head around the cost to build two units, the numbers still make us dizzy—and next year, it’ll be three units!
For 28 years your local Habitat office chugged along building one home a year. At that time, we would self-finance a build, and service the mortgage for our homeowners for the next 30 years. Monthly mortgage payments would come in to slowly pay off the cost of construction, and we’d scrounge our pennies for the next build, year after year.
We have transitioned on the past few builds, to outside financing. Our homeowners now pay a mortgage to the USDA Rural Development, and we use the funds from the sale to build more, faster.
The logistics of “15 in Five” was set in motion last year with a gift from the county of 11 tax lien lots to Habitat Archuleta. Your Board of County Commissioners and the County Attorney did the leg work of transitioning these vacant lots, to a step in the direction of affordable home ownership.
The next step for Habitat Archuleta was a transition to using modular units.
Many Habitat offices across the country are making this transition, as the need for work force housing has risen. Habitat Archuleta is spearheading the partnership with a non-profit modular manufacturer for other affiliates in the state of Colorado.
We are not, however, immune to the all-too-common epidemic of production delays and supply chain issues. Perhaps the monsoon season is good timing, as our build sites will be quiet until the arrival or our modular units in late September.
Our team has completed the excavation, foundations have been poured, garages have been built and sided—and now we wait.
HFHAC projects are a combination of volunteer labor, subcontractors, in-kind donation of products and services, and homeowner sweat equity. Habitat families work alongside volunteers to build their home and pay an affordable mortgage.
Watch our Thank You Advertisements to find out who in your community is supporting affordable home ownership!
These hours and efforts will be appreciated for generations by our workforce homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Contact us to see how you can get involved. Starting September 20, we’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 2:30 PM. Please call or email before you arrive, so we can plan for how many hands-on-deck. office@HabitatArchuleta.org 970.264.6960