It’s happening! We are getting East Archwood completed for what will be our first family placement for eventual homeownership under Survive to Thrive – Destination Homeownership.
This has been a journey and a half for Family Promise as we get the house completed. We have collectively saved $46,000 towards renovations of the house to date between the LEAD Program, $38,000 and the HWAP program, $8,000. The LEAD Program is a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funded program to eliminate the hazards of lead-based coatings in older homes. Archwood qualified, and as a result, we were able to receive all new windows and exterior doors and remove interior surfaces with high levels of lead paint. The Home Weatherization Program (HWAP) is also a CDBG program. We learned that while these programs saved us a large amount of revenue, they take a large amount of time which prolonged the renovation. Going forward, we will still attempt to qualify for these funds, but we will incorporate the time consumption in the overall timeline as we are now knowledgeable of the delays.
Plans are already underway for house number 2. We are looking for the house and hope to locate one by mid to late summer this year. The next house most likely will not require the extensive renovations that Archwood needed, but because Archwood is our flagship home for Survive to Thrive, we wanted to make sure it was a home we all can be proud of for FP. Look for information coming soon with a save-the-date for a major fundraiser for funding house number 2, it will be a lot of fun!
For the placement of a family, staff, board, Community Legal Aid, Habitat for Humanity, and our legal counsel have been busy putting together the application for potential families and the point system for selection. We are currently seating a selection committee for choosing the family for Survive to Thrive homes. We have a draft land contract developed and being vetted by Community Legal Aid, Fair Housing, and our legal counsel. Our goal is to have a solid and transparent procedure for selecting the families, so as to avoid any concerns over fairness in selecting a family for a home.
When the house is completed, and before a family moves in, we will hold an open house opportunity(ies) for you to come and see the finished house. You will be impressed and pleased with the great work that everyone has put forward in this renovation!