Craven Habitat for Humanity focused on community change in 2022

Habitat for Humanity of Craven County plans to build a dozen homes in New Bern's Pembroke neighborhood over the next two years. The construction is part of a newly focused project for the area nonprofit — building up local underserved communities one home at a time.

According to Executive Director Mike Williams, the nonprofit will be focusing on a number of home building projects in the Pembroke area throughout the year. The planned construction is part of Habitat’s push to make larger impacts in individual communities, he said.

Habitat completed one Pembroke home late last year and has two under construction. Williams said by the end of 2023 he hopes to have 12 new homes built in the Pembroke community.

“This approach is something we haven’t done in 20 to 25 years,” said Williams. “It helps us make a bigger impact because we’ve been doing like one home here and one way over there. The homes we bring to Pembroke will add to the tax base there, they will add to all of the things that are positive in that specific community.”

More: Pembroke community: Four planned Habitat for Humanity projects will 'build hope'

Williams said each of the vacant Pembroke lots planned for the Habitat homes were donated by the City of New Bern.

“The city doesn't get a lot of credit for the kind of work they do. They donated these lots to us which really helps us keep the costs down,” Williams noted.

Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay 0% interest mortgages or loans. The homeownership program is made possible through contributions of volunteer time and labor, financial contributions, and through donations and purchases at the Habitat for Humanity of Craven County ReStore, located at 930 Pollock St.

Robin Powell and her husband Stephen Wood were the recipients of the first Habitat home finished in Pembroke last year on Moore Avenue. Wood, an Army veteran, said he turned to Habitat after finding out he did not qualify for a VA loan for home ownership. He said the new house is especially important for his two children, ages 2 and 17.

“Having our own yard and our own space. I can put up a fence and enclose it, and then give my daughter a room, because she needs it,” he said

A Habitat home under construction on Wake Street for owner Christine Cox should be finished by mid-February, Williams said, with a dedication planned towards the end of the month..

“I applied for the home in November 2020, and I got approved that December,” Cox said. “It was the best Christmas gift, I couldn’t stop crying.”

Habitat’s next Pembroke project will begin January 24 with a wall raising for a home on Aycock Street.

Williams said Habitat hopes to build homes on three city-donated, wooded lots on the other end of Aycock Street. They are also working to procure a fourth adjacent lot from the owner, who lives outside the area.

Williams said the internet company MetroNet, which recently started work in New Bern, plans to clear the lots.

“Having four homes here is really going to change the look and feel of this community. One of the challenges is managing the water because there are ditches that run through there. We’re working with the city to route that around to a lift station and help move the water over to the river,” Williams said.

Also in Pembroke, a vacant lot on Pearson Street has been set aside for Habitat’s Faith Build, which pulls together volunteers from local churches to help construct a new home. The group also participates in fundraising for the project and provides food.

This year’s Faith Build will include members from local churches Saint Paul Catholic, Centenary United Methodist, First Baptist of New Bern, First Presbyterian, Christ Episcopal, Grace Anglican, Saint John’s Missionary Baptist, First Missionary Baptist, and Ebenezer Presbyterian.

“The entire faith community is going to come out and do this,” Williams said. “It should make a pretty good impact on this community.”

Habitat sets sites on Duffyfield area

Williams said Habitat is also hoping to bring new homes to the New Bern Redevelopment Commission’s Focus Area 1, the neighborhood north of Broad Street that runs from Cedar Street east to Miller Street and north to Pavie Avenue. The focus area lies within the majority Black Greater Five Points and Duffyfield communities.

For the Focus Area 1 project, Williams said Habitat is hoping to work with a Greenville-based developer interested in bringing affordable housing to the New Bern area.

“We’re looking to do rehabilitation to homes that are literally falling down,” he explained. “The challenge is how narrow the lots are here, but I’m sure if we work together we can get them redone and get new houses put on these vacant lots and actually start to bring this whole community back.”

Williams said the biggest challenge to building on vacant lots in the focus area is locating the properties' legal owners. In North Carolina, anyone who inherits or purchases even a small interest of an heirs' property can potentially force other owners to sell against their will.

“Heir properties are a big problem,” Williams admitted. "Our hope is we can take individuals and train them in that process of gathering the information. Then they can take that to a real estate attorney and say ‘Here’s what we found.’”

Habitat programs highlight student, women contributions in 2022

Collegiate Challenge

Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge program provides alternative spring break volunteer opportunities to college students across the United States. Beginning in March, students from six different colleges will come to New Bern for four weeks to help build Habitat homes. During their stay, the 107 students will live at local churches, with cots and sleeping bags supplied by Habitat. Local community members will provide lunch and dinner for the students while they work on at least three Habitat projects.

This year students will come from: Sacred Heart University (Connecticut), Franklin Pierce University (New Hampshire), Eastern Connecticut State University, Elmhurst University (Illinois), University of Delaware, and Hartwick College (New York).

Residents or businesses who are interested in hosting students or providing meals or a gift card, can contact Catherine Campbell, Craven Habitat for Humanity volunteer coordinator, at ccampbell@cravencountyhabitat.org or 252-633-9599, ext. 104.

Women Build

Habitat will dedicate the week of March 8-12 to the tens of thousands of women who participate in building Habitat homes across the globe. The program is a chance for women from all walks of life to help eliminate unsafe, unaffordable housing.

Volunteers will gain the knowledge needed to pound nails and raise walls. No special skills are required. Training is provided as well as water and snacks. Participants can come as an individual or in groups and have the opportunity to work a full day or only part of the day.

Anyone interested in the Women Build can sign up at https://cravencountyhabitat.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/8106

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Habitat for Humanity plans to build 12 homes in New Bern Pembroke area