The home-ownership dream is about to come true for two local families, who will become Eatonton neighbors by early next year thanks to Habitat for Humanity, the worldwide nonprofit that transforms donations and volunteer labor into brand-new houses for deserving applicants.
Moms Carla and Cerria independently applied to the Habitat program late last year and learned of their acceptance this spring. Since then, they’ve been contributing their required sweat equity to the process, working at Restore, the Putnam County Habitat for Humanity resale store (1027 Greensboro Rd., Eatonton) that features furnishings, home goods and used or excess building materials.
Alongside their children, both attended a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 12, at side-by-side plots on South Madison Street, near downtown. Joining them were Eatonton Mayor John Reid, City Councilmember Janie Reid, Putnam County Habitat Executive Director Murali Thirumal, and several other Habitat for Humanity officials and contractors who will be involved in the construction.
The mayor said he always feels like he’s watching opportunity when he sees a Habitat for Humanity house going up; opportunity for the families involved, but opportunity for the city, too.
“This gives some dedicated people who maybe don’t have the means to do things by convention the opportunity to have a decent place to live and to raise their family. And it changes the lay of the land.
“I mean, you’ve got a nice piece of land here, but it’s just bushes grown up right now and you won’t have that anymore. You’re going to have a beautiful house sitting here and that goes on the tax role, too, which is good for Eatonton,” Reid pointed out.
“And these people are going to be able to say, ‘I live on Madison Avenue,’ and Madison Avenue is one of the greatest streets in the city of Eatonton. I mean, it just changes the whole dynamics of a lot of things.”
Thirumal stated there are two common myths about the Habitat world. One is that former President Jimmy Carter founded the organization, with the other being the houses are free to recipients.
“Jimmy Carter has been a high-profile supporter and advocate, but not a founder, and the houses are not free,” Thiramul stressed. “The people who receive them, these young people pay a mortgage.”
They also are expected— in most cases, required— to work off some of the debt, initially by working at the resale store and later by helping at the build site, typically with loading/ unloading, painting, clean-up and other basic home-building tasks.
To qualify for a Habitat build, applicants must go online, complete questionnaires that, if qualifying, take them to the next level where records and paperwork are submitted for review. If successful to that point, they will then face an online meeting and video interview before any decision can be reached.
Thirumal said it’s a lengthy, thorough process and of 22 completed applications received in 2021, five qualified, with Carla and Cerria the first of those five to reach the ground-breaking stage. He said the biggest obstacle typically is not an applicant’s income, but when their debt-to-income ratio is too high.
“We want to set them up for success, not failure,” he said. “We don’t want to add another big payment per month onto their plate and we won’t let that happen because we’ve got to protect the program itself.”
Currently, the local Habitat for Humanity effort is benefiting from an anonymous $400,000 donation that Thirumal said he hopes will inspire others to contribute what they can.
“We are not just giving these people a house,” he explained. “Those little kids we saw here, we are giving them a future. We know, statistically, that more kids in Habitat houses go to college than from average homes of their same income level. We know that these may be their first and last homes. We know these houses are built well, they’re built with love and God’s grace, and all those things go into these houses.”
Serving as general contractor for the two new Habitat houses will be Clark Harper of Harper Custom Construction in Eatonton. Since getting involved with the organization in 2019, Harper said he’s worked on five Habitat homes previously, but this is the first time he’s tackled two at once.
“It’s easier because they’re right beside each other, so your sub-contractors (including Eatonton-based Joe’s Roofing, working on its first Habitat for Humanity build) are more anxious to get there and get the work done,” Harper said.
“But mostly because of material supply issues, builds that normally take three or four months are taking five or six now,” Harper added. “It should take three, maybe three-and-a-half months to do these two, rain permitting.”
Regardless, it can’t come soon enough for either of the two new homeowners.
“Honestly? I’m overwhelmed,” Cerria said. “I can’t believe it’s finally here. I’ve been driving by just looking at the stakes in the ground and thinking about what it’s all gonna’ look like.”
Her soon-to-be new neighbor shared similar feelings.
“We learned where our location would be in March and I’ve been coming by just about every day since,” said Carla, who will be within easy walking distance of her workplace once she moves in. “It’s been exciting, like being on a roller coaster.”