Habitat for Humanity, the international nonprofit organization that builds affordable homes for the poor, is hoping to expand its influence and its building projects in Snohomish County.
The organization has existed here for 11 years, first with a chapter in south Snohomish County, then another in Everett and a third in Monroe. But the chapters recently consolidated into a single organization that is looking to form another branch in the northern part of the county.
The once all-volunteer group also hired a full-time executive director "to help us focus on what we want to do," President Randy Sinn said.
And what it wants to do is build more houses.
Mary Fears, who recently became the group’s second director, said the organization hopes to reach the point where it builds 10 homes a year in the county.
The group needs to step up its efforts, because rising home prices have made affordable homes a rare commodity, Sinn said.
"We can’t just keep building $1 million houses, because a lot of us can’t afford them," Sinn said.
Rising unemployment has also increased the need, Fears said.
"I get a lot of calls from young mothers about to be kicked out because they can’t afford the rent," she said.
While there isn’t much the organization can do to help those about to lose their homes, Fears said many of the callers still request information "because they can see that’s the way its going to be."
The group’s clients, Fears said, are typically "the poorest of the poor."
"These folks might take 100 percent of their income to purchase a home under conventional means," she added.
The organization, which uses volunteer labor, sells its homes at cost and without charging interest. The owners, who contribute a significant amount of work to the project, can take up to 30 years to repay.
While the owners can sell the homes if they like, Habitat has the right of first refusal to help ensure that the homes continue as affordable housing in the county.
"This is not a free handout, it’s an incredible discount," Sinn said. "Sweat equity is their investment, so they take care of them."
Sinn and Fears noted that two duplexes the organization built in Everett several years ago recently won a Monte Cristo award from the city for their well-tended landscaping.
While the agency likes to build duplexes and single-family homes, difficulties in finding suitable land means that it will be building more condominium-style buildings to make the best use of the land.
Sinn said finding land it can afford is the group’s single largest problem.
"It’s a challenge," he said. "The market value of land is very high."
Sinn said he was surprised to learn recently at a regional conference that this area is one of the few in which habitat chapters have problems securing building sites. "The other areas had more problems with volunteers," he said.
That’s not the case here.
"Lots of people show up, get involved and support each other," Sinn said.
Fears said the organization’s volunteer roster has tripled during the last three years, growing to some 4,000 people. Sinn said a large number of professionals in the building community volunteer their time, expertise and materials.
The group’s current project is a five-unit building on Hoyt Avenue in Everett. Next up for spring is construction of a single-family home, also in Everett, at the site of an arson fire.
Sinn noted that the organization was told that the area around its fiveplex has more than its share of crime. So Habitat intends to help organize a neighborhood crime watch.
"That’s one value of Habitat," Sinn said. "It’s a community-building organization."
Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; benbow@heraldnet.com.
MEGGAN BOOKER
/ The Herald
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