Air Force veteran welcomed to 'forever home' during Habitat for Humanity dedication

ADRIAN — Veterans Day was a fitting date to dedicate Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County's latest home, which will be owned by a veteran.

United States Air Force veteran Joshua Traeger was officially welcomed to what he called his “forever home” at 423 Spring St. during Friday afternoon’s dedication ceremony. This was the first veteran house build conducted by Habitat's Lenawee County chapter, according to Alanna Cook, homeowner services manager for Habitat Lenawee.

Previous houses have been built for area families and individuals by veteran groups and organizations, Cook said, but the Spring Street house was granted to a veteran on Veterans Day for the first time while having been constructed with the assistance of those veterans groups and other Habitat volunteers.

A flag presentation was conducted at the ceremony by Adrian American Legion Post No. 97.

“The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for honoring this family, our veteran community and those who made this build possible,” Cook said. “It was a great honor to welcome the Traeger family home and to remember all those who have served this country at our dedication.”

Veterans Build is Habitat for Humanity’s national initiative to provide housing solutions and volunteer and employment opportunities to U.S. veterans and military service members and their families.

The three-bedroom, two-bath house is directly across the street from another Habitat Lenawee home build at 424 Spring St. Jackson Marsh, Habitat Lenawee site supervisor, said it should be completed before a family is even ready to move in. For details on applying for that house and additional home builds available through Habitat Lenawee, visit www.habitat-lenawee.org/housing-programs/current-builds/.

The Traeger house was completed in about 13 months, Marsh said. The project was met with delays due to rising costs and supply shortages.

“We try to keep it around six months (for a house build) but we had a lot of hiccups along the way,” he said. “It’s always a challenge to keep (builds) under budget and to keep it where families can afford it.

“Foam glue, as funny as it sounds,” Marsh added, “was one of the most difficult products to find when building the house.”

Traeger, who served in the Air Force for two years starting in 2002, said he did a lot of traveling at the time, and he learned a lot about house repairs then, too. He has been working in the construction trades for more than 20 years, and is currently a resident care aide for both Tecumseh Place and Blissfield Place assisted living facilities.

While he has only been an Adrian resident for the past two years, having previously lived in Washington state, he said he’s grown to enjoy and appreciate the Adrian community.

“The people here have been great and so accommodating. They are fantastic,” he said.

Traeger’s parents were the ones who actually encouraged him to relocate to Adrian from Washington, he said, after they moved from Fresno, California, to Adrian. While residing with his parents, Traeger helped them fix up their own home, which is at the corner of Toledo and Comstock streets.

“I guess now I’m staying,” he said. “Mom and dad are still just a hop, skip and a jump away.”

Traeger’s sons will move in with him by next summer, he said.

“When I applied (for the house) back in October a year ago, it was only two months before (Habitat) called and said that I was the candidate chosen. So that was pretty cool,” Traeger said.

Habitat homeowners are not given their house. They have an affordable mortgage and have to put "sweat equity" by helping build the house, volunteering with Habitat or attending homeowner education classes. Traeger said he'll be doing some of his sweat equity at the home build across the street from his new residence.

The veterans home build was sponsored by Lenawee Cares, the Berlin Family Fund, the Lenawee County Association of Realtors and more than 15 other local businesses and partners.

“I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to all involved with Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee and this veterans build,” Traeger said. “Becoming a Habitat homeowner gives me the ability to provide a home for my two boys, and a sense of security for our future.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Air Force veteran welcomed home during Habitat for Humanity ceremony