Fundraising has begun for next year’s Habitat for Humanity house build in Estevan, according to the Estevan chapter chair Doug Barnstable.
“We’re just in the process of doing fundraising for the new home. We’re looking at construction beginning in spring 2019, so what we’re going to be focusing on this year is getting those funds in place,” said Barnstable.
The Estevan chapter of Habitat for Humanity has committed itself to building one single-family home in the community every two years, as opposed to a major city like Regina where around 10 are built yearly by Habitat.
“We’ve got fundraisers that we’ll be doing over the next few months, and some we’ve done over the past few months. On Aug. 14 and Aug. 28, we’ll be doing a fundraiser at Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse Casual, with proceeds from steaks sold that night going towards the project,” said Barnstable.
More major fundraising ventures for the project will begin in the fall and continue throughout winter, with donations being announced in the upcoming months.
“We’re guardedly optimistic about donations,” said Barnstable. “We’ve been starting contact again with businesses in the community with a good indication of support. There will likely be people we have to get into contact with that we maybe haven’t talked with before or who weren’t able to donate anything to the project before.
“We have to get out and see how the economy has rebounded and how businesses have consolidated, and what their budgets are looking like for the coming year. It’s always kind of an anticipation time for us.”
Applications for the next partner family aren’t being accepted yet, but will be starting in September. It was contemplated whether applications should be started earlier, according to Barnstable, but the group decided against it after deliberations with their affiliates in Regina who warned of issues that could arise.
There are several deciding factors that go into the decision whether or not a family can qualify to be a part of the program.
“Partner families have to show that they have a need for housing, because they are in substandard housing, or rental housing, or areas that would not allow them to save enough money to get into their own home,” said Barnstable. “Income levels have to be between $32,000 and $66,500.
“They have to have a financial basis that would allow them to enter into a mortgage with Habitat, which is limited to 25 per cent of their total family yearly income and often the families are already spending more than that on rent where they currently are.”
Families that are accepted into the program also have to commit themselves to 500 hours of sweat equity with Habitat.
These hours can be completed with friends and family, with a two-parent household having to complete 350 hours and 150 hours to be completed by friends and family, and single-parent household having to complete 150 hours and having 350 hours completed by friends and family.
