400 volunteers, 10 days: Habitat for Humanity team at Iowa State Fair fast-tracks building a house

Hammering. Drilling. Painting.

In the northwest corner of the Iowa State Fairgrounds — between Gate 13 and the Sling Shot — a team of Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers is racing against the clock to construct a 1,158-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath house.

The team is determined to complete in 10 days a job that normally takes three to four months. By the final weekend of the State Fair, the completed house is set to be shown off during an open house. And by next week, the structure will be sitting on a foundation ready for Mei to move in with her adult son, Ming, who has a disability. Habitat leaders did not release their last names.

Occasionally, curious fairgoers stop to inspect the process and ask questions about the house and Habitat for Humanity — which is part of the goal, said the organization's communications director, Danny Akright.

"We always enjoy an opportunity to have kind of a special build more in the public spotlight," Akright said. "We're seeing the kind of awareness and engagement we were hoping to see by building at the State Fair."

Des Moines chapter builds 25 to 30 houses a year

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that constructs affordable homes for low-income families, helps with home repairs and offers financial counseling and education classes. The Des Moines chapter has about 11,000 volunteers and builds about 25 to 30 houses each year, according to chapter CEO Lance Henning. This is the first build at the Iowa State Fair since 2005.

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One in 10 Iowans spends more than 50% of their income to cover their housing costs, though 30% is the optimal threshold, Henning said. In Polk County, it's one in eight.

"We do want to showcase our mission of creating affordable home ownership, but we also want to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing across the state of Iowa," Henning said of the fair build. "Sometimes people think … the cost of housing is not an issue (in the state). It really is an issue here, too."

Mei and her son Ming have longed for more space and a sense of independence, they told Habitat for Humanity through an interpreter.

"Sometimes I can't believe that, at my age, I'm able to move into a new home in my own name," Mei told Habitat.

Construction involves nearly 400 volunteers

Builders have come a long way since the first walls were framed on Aug. 11, the first day of the fair. By Monday afternoon, the exterior was painted a gray-blue, and workers were mudding and taping the drywall inside while the rain steadily pattered outside.

Nearly 400 volunteers — corporate groups, young professionals, staff members and regular volunteers — are lending a hand to construct the house, which as of Monday still needed paint, trim, cabinets and flooring, but Henning and Akright said crews were ahead of schedule.

"We're still building at the exact same quality," Akright said. "We just have more hands on deck (and) a more concentrated construction timeline."

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Abbey Barrow has worked as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer for at least eight years. She first joined the Drake University chapter as a student and now serves as a board member of the Habitat young professionals group.

Barrow said she was excited to do her part, spending several hours Saturday with her peers, putting siding on the structure. She said the ability to build on a compact timeline is a testament to the dedication of staff and volunteers.

"From my understanding, it would be far easier to just build the house at the site, but I do think the Iowa State Fair is such a huge event in this community," she said. "And I think there's focus on a lot of the fun things … but I think being able to integrate Habitat into that experience and say that affordable housing and supporting our neighbors is also a huge part of this community … is a great idea."

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Working on the home offers 'a little bit of inspiration'

Barrow works closely with those who are homeless or in unstable housing situations as a youth homelessness demonstration program coordinator for Homeward, a homelessness-focused organization in Polk County. Seeing the struggles in many community members' daily lives makes her more appreciative of the impact she has through Habitat for Humanity.

"I'm not the best at construction, but every day, I get to go out there," she said. "I get to learn new things. I get to see what we can actually do when we come together as a community, and really place a focus on housing. It's a little bit of inspiration and a little bit of good news to keep me going."

Mei said she is grateful to the organization for caring for the elderly and disabled and intends to take great pride in her new home.

"I want my home to be a welcoming place for my children and grandchildren to come visit," she said. "I'll be proud to bring my sisters to visit from New York, and I look forward to meeting my neighbors and building a sense of community."

Virginia Barreda is a trending and general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. 

See the house

The Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity is hosting an open house Saturday and Sunday before the house is moved to its permanent location in the 500 block of East 27th Street in Des Moines. Check out the finished product on the northwest side of the fairgrounds between Gate 13 and Grand Avenue.

To learn more about the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, visit https://gdmhabitat.org/.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Habitat for Humanity at Iowa State Fair is building a house in 10 days