Dane County's 67th Habitat for
Humanity home is now under construction at 726 E. Dayton Street, formerly the
site of an abandoned city well. The original plat lot was only 33 feet wide so
when the water utility decided to sell it, uses appeared limited. To Habitat's
experienced staff and architect, however, the little lot was a golden
opportunity. Habitat purchased the lot for $10,000 and spent another $17,000
removing the old concrete wellhouse and preparing the lot for construction. Now
a custom-designed three-bedroom bi-level is rising, soon to be home to a small
family under the ongoing care and support of Habitat for Humanity's volunteers
and staff.
Habitat for Humanity's University
chapter is directly responsible for this project under the leadership of fifth
year student Joe Van Oosbree. Joe is finishing his degree in civil engineering
with a focus on construction management, and has worked on Habitat projects in
South Carolina, Little Rock, and New Orleans. After graduating he will go to
Northern Ireland for more construction experience with the organization, which
works in eighty countries around the world. Joe hopes to see the Dayton Street
house finished by June 1.
He says he has particularly
enjoyed managing this project because the Tenney Lapham neighbors are friendly
and welcoming, dropping in for mini-tours and even bringing cookies during
workdays. The University chapter raised money for the lot with the assistance
of high school students in the Rake-a-Thon and the Super Bowl event, at which guests
bid for hand-made pottery bowls and then share a meal together. They managed to
raise $17,000 this year and hope to expand those very successful fund-raisers
(and find more potters!) for next year.
Additional Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds, which do not have to be paid back until the homeowner
sells the house, completed the funding for the land. Ron Konkol of the Dane
County Habitat chapter supplied me with more details on the project. Habitat's
out-of-pocket expenses for the house total $54,000, supplemented by donated
services and products. The new homeowners pay $500 down and receive a mortgage
at 0% interest. In addition, they must complete 350 hours of work on the house
themselves. Part of those hours is spent in training programs so they can learn
the basics of home ownership and maintenance, personal finance, and the like.
They are then paired with a
volunteer family who mentors them as they get used to the ongoing
responsibilities of home ownership. Habitat for Humanity has learned that
continuing support is a key to helping people successfully transition from
renting to owning and caring for their own property.
The Dayton Street house has about
1300 square feet of living space on two levels, and was custom designed by architect
Henry Kanazawa to meet the specific needs of the family who will move in.
Kanazawa is retired, 80 years old, and volunteers with Habitat to create
economical and appealing home designs appropriate to each project's
neighborhood.
In this case he drew up a house
with two levels, a front porch and peaked roof that mirrors other houses in
Tenney Lapland. It fits on the narrow 33-foot lot with enough room at the side
for a driveway. Inside, two bedrooms and a full bath are on the lower level
along with surprisingly ample storage space and a utility room with hookups for
a future laundry. The upper level, up half a flight of stairs from the entry,
features the L-shaped kitchen, the dining area, and the living room all joined
together for a sense of space and sociability, with a big sunny window in
front. In back the master bedroom has sliding glass doors to a balcony
overlooking the back yard. This bedroom has its own walk-in closet and a half
bath. The design is noticeably professional, with no wasted space and an
excellent traffic pattern. (By the time I finished my mini-tour, I was
thinking, "I want one too!")
Konkol says Habitat for Humanity
is interested in doing more infill housing in the Isthmus area and has no
trouble working with our narrow lots and odd configurations. Volunteers for
fund raising are particularly welcome. This is a mature, developed program with
sixteen years of experience in Dane County, and according to Konkol once a
family is placed in a Habitat home and given proper support, they rarely sell.
Their kids stay at the same school, achievement rises, lives stabilize, and
positive effects ripple out into the community.
In addition, I would add, Dayton
Street loses an ugly abandoned lot and gains a site-appropriate, friendly
little house and a new permanent neighbor family whose kids can walk three
blocks to school! Good all around.
Habitat for Humanity can be
reached at 255-1549.
-Mary
Pulliam