Creating financial balance for home ownership

A construction crew is back to work this month building two homes on Quebec Street in Stayner. After a delay, the Habitat for Humanity project is back on track, with volunteers and the future homeowners working away on a beautiful blue wood sided duplex.
Each three-bedroom home is about 1,000 square feet with a full basement, that is unfinished but has plumbing roughed in. The units will be home to a couple with a two-year-old son and a single mom with two sons.
Habitat for Humanity South Georgian Bay Executive Director Joy Fleury said the program helps people who are spending a large portion of their income trying to keep a roof over their heads.
Habitat for Humanity sets people up in a home with an interest-free mortgage. Only 25 per cent of the owners’ gross combined family income goes toward a combined mortgage and property tax payment.
“That frees up income to save for school or a car,” said Fluery. “All sorts of things that when housing takes up 70 per cent of your income, the basics, which most of us take for granted, aren’t available.”
Habitat for Humanity is founded on the belief that decent, affordable housing is a basic human right. It partners with low-income families, who currently live in substandard housing, are willing to volunteer 500 hours of “sweat equity” and can repay a zero-down payment, interest-free mortgage over an average 35 year period.
Fleury said there is a group of volunteers taking the project into the home stretch throughout the summer but they are looking for more volunteers, of all skill levels.
Habitat for Humanity broke ground at the Stayner site in October but the build had a set back because of delays in securing permits from the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority. They made up some time by working with Royal Homes, who agreed to bring in the pre-fab frame which was then closed in thanks to donations by AM Roofing Solutions, Van Dolders, Maibec Siding, and Gentek Aluminum and Advanced Door Systems, before shutting down construction in January.
But everyone is back at it now. Fleury said the build is a very important part of the process.
“It’s the community welcoming the families and wrapping their arms around them,” she said.
This is the third build in Stayner and Habitat for Humanity has two more Stayner properties lined up to sever and rezone for the construction of another two duplexes. Applications are now being accepted for the next homeowners.
People can support the organization by volunteering and donating to a build, or shopping at and donating to the Habitat ReStore at 155 Sandford Fleming Drive in Collingwood.
When you make a donation to Habitat for Humanity South Georgian Bay, every dollar of your gift goes directly towards building homes with families in need. Profits from the ReStore, which sells quality new and used donated building materials and other products, cover 100 per cent of administrative costs.
People are also invited to participate in their big charity golf tournament on June 20 at Cranberry Golf Club, or donate a prize.
All of the information is online at habitatgeorgianbay.ca, including online donations and applications for volunteers and homeowners.