City of Gadsden gives Habitat for Humanity a share of ARP funds

Donna Thornton, The Gadsden Times
·2 min read
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Affordable housing is one of the many ways American Rescue Plan funds can be used, and to that end, the City of Gadsden approved giving $250,000 in ARP money to Gadsden-Etowah Habitat for Humanity, for projects in the city.

Habitat Executive Director Suzanne Scharfenberg said the nonprofit is grateful to the city and anxious to pick up the pace on its work help local families become homeowners.

"What we do at Habitat for Humanity fits nicely with the intent of the ARP funding," Scharfenberg said.

The money must be used in Gadsden — where Habitat has constructed a number of homes. Scharfenberg said with these funds, she hopes Habitat can do some of the extra things needed. Some of the property the organization has to build on is heavily wooded.

"We hope we can use this to do site work," she said, as well as building and buying building products — "whatever we need to do to accomplish our mission of (building) simple affordable housing."

Habitat has partnered with 56 families to build affordable homes and get those families out of substandard housing, and currently is working with its 57th and 58th families.

The requirement that the money be used in Gadsden is no problem, Scharfenberg said.

"We do builds in the entire county," she said, "where the opportunity, property, or partner family needs arise."

Habitat is working now on a house on Springfield Avenue — its fourth home in a block of property given to the organization, Scharfenberg added.

As with most nonprofit organizations, COVID-19 has posed challenges for Habitat.

For the past two years, Habitat had to forego its signature fundraising event — the Dragon Boat race that had become a staple of the summer.

Scharfenberg said the agency hopes to bring the event back next year, though nothing has been decided.

"You've got to stay after it," she said, for fundraising.

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: City of Gadsden gives Habitat for Humanity $250,000 from ARP funds