Flint River Habitat for Humanity dedicates new Lee County home
Jun. 18—LEESBURG — For 30 years, Flint River Habitat for Humanity has devoted its energy to providing simple, decent, affordable housing to qualifying families in its community. For many families, homeownership is a dream; Flint River Habitat for Humanity seeks to make this dream a reality by giving families a more affordable route to owning a home.
Even with COVID restrictions resulting in lessened donations and volunteers, supply chain interruptions, and increasing inflation in the housing market throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Flint River Habitat has placed three well-deserving families into safe, affordable homes since 2020. Last week, a fourth new habitat homeowner received the keys to her new home.
Flint River Habitat for Humanity has worked on a new-build Habitat home in Lee county since May 2021 and closed on and dedicated the structure recently. In partnership with Moore, Clarke, DuVall, and Rodgers P.C., Flint River Habitat's newest homeowner, signed for and closed on her home. After the closing, her home was dedicated by Flint River Habitat Board members and blessed by Pastor Gernard Jones of Greater Traveler's Rest Ministries.
"This has been a great experience," the new homeowner said. "What I loved best about my experience [with Flint River Habitat's homeownership program] is the financial literacy classes. Those classes have helped me get well-prepared for what's in store to owning a home."
Flint River Habitat's home ownership program is not a handout, but rather a hand up, requiring sweat equity (volunteer) hours of the homeowners to go toward building their home. The home ownership program also requires attendance at Homeowner Education & Financial Management Workshops. Meeting the need for home ownership encompasses meeting the need for stability, by giving families a place to call their own, the need for safety, by building in areas with safe neighborhoods, and for affordability, by offering a 0% interest mortgage.
In addition to offering the 0% mortgage, Flint River Habitat makes home ownership affordable through the donation of land and through proceeds from donors and fundraisers, such as Hammer Jam, to purchase building materials. However, because the Hammer Jam fundraiser was cancelled for two years due to COVID, their primary funding source is the Flint River Habitat ReStore. The ReStore is a resale store that sells new and used items that consist of furniture, housewares, building materials and more. These items are donated and then sold in the ReStore with 100% of the net profits going toward building and rehabbing homes.
"We really appreciate the community's support in donating to and shopping at our ReStore," Scooter Courtney, executive director of Flint River Habitat for Humanity, said. "The majority of the new Lee County home was constructed using funds from the ReStore, and we couldn't do that without the community's help."
Flint River Habitat is currently constructing two additional Habitat homes this year.
Flint River Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to seek to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Visit www.flintriverhabitat.org, call (229) 446-8199, or e-mail Teresa at tstanfield@flintriverhabitat.org for more information about Flint River Habitat's home ownership program.
