Habitat For Humanity Completes Latest Project In Richfield

Press release from the City of Richfield:

July 17, 2020

Richfield has collaborated with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity for more than 25 years and has constructed 12 new homes during that time. This partnership has led to new residents calling the city home and an affordable avenue for homeownership.

“Two of the goals of Richfield’s New Home program are to support affordable homeownership opportunities and remove substandard homes from city,” explained housing specialist Celeste McDermott. “When we develop a home with Habitat for Humanity we meet both of those goals.”

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s recently completed project is located on the 6300-block of Irving Avenue and was made possible through funding from the Richfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) under its New Home Program.

The city contributes towards the building of the new Habitat for Humanity homes by selling the land to the organization at a reduced cost.

Investing in Habitat for Humanity projects expands the city’s affordable housing footprint.

“From a development perspective, we know that our one-time investment in the property will go farther when we work with Habitat for Humanity,” said Housing Manager Julie Urban. “The properties are able to remain affordable through either a right of first refusal or as part of a land trust so that Habitat can update the home and make it available again to new buyers.”

The completed single-family home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, in addition to a detached two-car garage. The project also incorporated universal design features that will help make it more accessible for future homeowners.

The Habitat for Humanity model promotes affordable homeownership by ensuring that household mortgages remain within the financial means of the buyers and ensuring that those buyers are prepared for homeownership.

“People go through a very comprehensive application process to see if they are eligible for our programs. If they are eligible, they are immediately set up with a financial coach to work towards being mortgage-ready,” asserted Mari Ojeda, project manager for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. “Once they are mortgage-ready, those households can enter our applicant pool and then have monthly opportunities to match with a home based on what they can afford and what is available.”

Prior to building the home, the Irving Avenue property was owned by the HRA and once contained a substandard home.

“There were some unique challenges to the size and layout of the property and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity found some very creative solutions that made a new home feasible,” said McDermott.

The future owners began investing in their future home months prior to getting the keys through sweat-equity requirements and classes in homeownership. In addition, they are buying a high-quality home, which can lead to fewer issues in the future.

“Our families work hard and are very invested in their new homes,” said Ojeda. “For a lot of them, finding a place to call their own is the ultimate goal. That stability offers a strong foundation for the whole family and can really benefit the entire community as well.”

This press release was produced by the City of Richfield. The views expressed here are the author’s own.