Habitat community thrives after slow start

Planning for the Habitat for Humanity subdivision began nine years ago. The Habitat board received a Community Development Block Grant from the city of Springfield in 1994 to purchase land for the project after receiving anchor commitments from individuals and organizations to build homes, according to Donna J. Jones, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Springfield.

Habitat kicked off the McAL subdivision at the corner of Calhoun Street and Homewood Avenue in 1997, but unexpected problems with sinkholes delayed building until the summer of 1998. Six houses were built the first year.

There are now 37 homes in the subdivision, and Habitat for Humanity of Springfield plans to build 14 more over the next two years, Jones said.

After smoothing over a few rough spots, the subdivision appears to be working out well, Jones said.

Problems arose at first because people who moved into the McAL subdivision weren't used to volunteering, neighborhood networking or homeownership, Jones said. The subdivision has a property owners association, and there were some rough times initially because unilateral decisions were being made without informing association members, she said.

"Leadership was hard to come by at first, and once we got a president, homeowners would call that person to complain about everyone else," Jones said. "They got authoritarian. They were ruling with a hard-closed fist. Some stuff shouldn't have become a big issue, like fences, but it became a big issue."

Once more people moved into the subdivision, the ability to pool leadership from a broader range of families helped, Jones said. There's good neighborhood networking now, she said. For example, someone in the neighborhood builds fences and offers to build fences for neighbors at a reduced rate. Another person repairs cars and will help neighbors in need of car repair for a nominal fee, Jones said.

"There's a lot of neighborliness going on," she said.

Community need

Jones believes there is a need in the community for better and affordable housing. According to statistics from Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, between 5,000 and 10,000 substandard housing units are occupied in Springfield.

Habitat for Humanity provides families with affordable houses and the pride in owning their own homes. According to Jones, families are selected based on three criteria.

Need. Need is based on income and the housing a family is currently occupying. Habitat for Humanity serves those who earn between 25 percent and 50 percent of median income, she said, and "we look to see if they're in substandard housing, overcrowded conditions and dangerous neighborhoods."

Ability to pay. Most people selected to purchase a Habitat home have credit problems, Jones said, but even high risk families who have had trouble making payments in the past often will try hard to make their mortgage payments on time due to pride in ownership.

Willingness to partner. "How hard do they stick with us and follow through on all the steps (to become a homeowner)?" Jones said. "That shows how willing to partner they are."

Families who are selected to become homeowners help build their houses, but there are plenty of volunteers to help them 52,000 volunteer hours were recorded in Springfield last year, Jones said.