Single mom works to build her Habitat home in Forsyth County

In April, a local family saw the start of their new Habitat for Humanity home in northeast Forsyth County. The excitement of raising the walls of the new home was felt by all, particularly the homeowner, Amanda Higgins, and her daughter. As a young, single mom who is working to better her life and that of her daughter’s, purchasing her home through Habitat offers them both stability and security as they grow. While working on building her new home and at her job, Amanda is also pursuing her master’s degree in Family and Human Development. She is excited to start a new life in her new home with a bright future for herself and her daughter.

Building alongside Amanda are our house sponsors - Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd, Publix Super Market Charities, Solvay Specialty Polymers, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, VMWare and The UPS Foundation. They provide funds and volunteer resources which enable Habitat to provide decent, affordable homes to our local partner families.

Our partner families must qualify through an application process where they have to demonstrate a need, meet strict income guidelines, and pass rigorous background and credit checks. Once selected and approved, they also provide 200 hours of “sweat equity” by working on their home and the other homes of partner families.

About Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia

Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia is a non-profit, Christian housing ministry that builds affordable housing for purchase by low- to moderate-income families who demonstrate a capacity for responsible homeownership. Since its inception in 1995, Habitat-NCG has built or rehabbed over 310 homes in North Fulton, Cherokee and Forsyth/Dawson counties. Partner families are required to attend educational classes related to homeownership and perform 200 sweat equity hours; they earn between 30% and 60% of the Atlanta area median income and purchase their homes through a 30-year, no-interest loan financed by Habitat-NCG. In 2014, Habitat-NCG started a home repair program targeted primarily at veterans and seniors. To date, 54 repair projects have been completed, bringing the total number of persons served by the ministry to over 1300, including more than 750 children. For more information regarding Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia, please visit www.habitat-ncg.org.