June 18—LEESBURG — For 30 years, Flint River Habitat for Humanity has dedicated its energy to providing simple, decent, and affordable housing for eligible families in its community. For many families, home ownership is a dream; Flint River Habitat for Humanity seeks to make this dream a reality by providing families with a more affordable way to own a home.
Even with COVID restrictions resulting in fewer donations and volunteers, supply chain disruptions, and growing inflation in the housing market throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Flint River Habitat has placed three families well in safe and affordable homes since 2020. Last week, a fourth new home owner received the keys to her new home.
Flint River Habitat for Humanity has been working on a new Habitat home in Lee County since May 2021 and recently closed and dedicated the structure. In partnership with Moore, Clarke, DuVall and Rodgers PC, the new owner of Flint River Habitat has signed and closed her home. After closing, her home was dedicated by Flint River Habitat board members and blessed by Pastor Gernard Jones of Frequent Traveler’s Rest Ministries.
“It was a great experience,” said the new owner. “What I liked most about my experience [with Flint River Habitat’s homeownership program] are financial literacy courses. These courses have helped me prepare well for what awaits me in becoming an owner.”
Flint River Habitat’s homeownership program is not a handout, but rather a helping hand, requiring hours of (volunteer) labor from homeowners to build their homes. The homeownership program also requires attendance at the owner education and financial management workshops. Addressing the need for homeownership encompasses the need for stability, by giving families a place of their own, the need for security, by building in safe neighborhoods, and affordability, by offering a zero interest mortgage.
In addition to offering the 0% mortgage, Flint River Habitat makes home ownership affordable by donating land and taking proceeds from donors and fundraisers, like Hammer Jam, to purchase construction materials. construction. However, since the Hammer Jam fundraiser was canceled for two years due to COVID, their main source of funding is the Flint River Habitat ReStore. The ReStore is a resale store that sells new and used items consisting of furniture, household items, building materials and more. These items are donated and then sold in the ReStore, with 100% of the net profits going towards building and renovating homes.
“We really appreciate the support of the community by donating and shopping at our ReStore,” said Scooter Courtney, executive director of Flint River Habitat for Humanity. “The majority of the new home in Lee County was built with ReStore funds, and we couldn’t do it without the help of the community.”
Flint River Habitat is building two additional Habitat homes this year.
Flint River Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is 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 email Teresa at [email protected] for more information about the Flint River Habitat homeownership program.
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