WCBHC applies for self help housing grant
The Board of Trustees of the Warren County Balanced Housing Corporation has authorized its Director, Margie Clary, to prepare a Section 523 Technical Assistance Grant application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Division. This grant, if awarded, will provide funding to undertake an all-but-forgotten type of housing project-Mutual Self-Help.
The mutual self-help housing "sweat equity" concept isn't new. Organized mutual self-help housing with a permanent source of financing for participants started with the Quakers. It's a tradition for rural people who, despite limited financial resources, had the determination and help of neighbors to construct the barns, homes, and schools that became America's rural communities.
In the early 1960's, people were determined to find ways to bring lasting improvement to the lives of rural Americans. They saw the opportunity to capture the energy and dreams of the rural poor and bring them better housing and better lives. From their vision grew the mutual self-help housing program. Those same principles remain the basis for this program today and with housing costs rising much faster than incomes, the mutual self-help concept is once again becoming a necessity for many rural Americans looking for a way to own their own homes.
In the mutual self-help housing program, a group of 8 to 12 families and individuals work together under the guidance of a construction supervisor, hired by the nonprofit housing developer. These groups perform at least 65 percent of the construction work. By working together for 8 to 10 months, they complete all of their homes simultaneously; no one moves in until all the homes within the group are completed. Their labor becomes their down payment, commonly referred to as "sweat equity." Hard work is the key, along with a willingness to work cooperatively with other participants. These groups share the common goal of homeownership and commit themselves to share in the work that will make that goal a reality.
In the first 28 years (1971 - 1999) of the U.S.D.A. Rural Development Self-Help Housing Program, a total of 26,905 homes have been built nationwide. Mutual self-help housing is more than just building houses. It stimulates local economies, establishes credit, and builds new skills, self-confidence, and a community. It's about pride and having a place to call home.
Persons interested in learning more about or participating in the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program in Warren County should contact the Warren County Balanced Housing Corporation's office at (513) 695-2266 or by e-mail at margiec@wcbhc.org.
