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Sweat pays off in new homes for needy

by ERIC SCHUDISKE / KING 5 News

KING5.com

Posted on November 23, 2009 at 7:00 PM

“That's Chris Boyd's house. That's Heather's house."

From her porch, Linda Parson looks over her new subdivision. Ten families broke ground here on ten homes in July 2008.

“I think a lot of people could do it… it's do they want to do it?" said Jerry Parson.

Each family was required to work 30 hour per week as part of a government program called "Housing Hope,"

“We all worked as a group, and went house to house," said Linda.

In exchange they earned a low-interest loan with no down payment.

For Parson, building these homes; even with the help of a foreman, volunteers and contractors like plumbers, was as challenging as child birth.

“Kind of go through labor, in the middle you think, oh my gosh, this is horrible, I want to quit and I want to kill everyone around me, and then all of a sudden it starts coming together and you have this gift," said Jerry.

Monday, the gift was a ceremony, a ribbon cutting and a house key.

"They commit to this year worth of work, and well as you can see this is their reward," said Toni Wiegand with Housing Hope.

“I have a three bedroom, here will be one bedroom, and here will be a bath," explained Terry Johnson, who will be just a few doors down from her son. He's building a home in the next phase of "Housing Hope," putting Terry that much closer to spoiling her grandson.

“He told his mom, once grandma gets to her house, we'll have cookies all the time."

But Johnson believes more than homes with new sod and even keys indoors, a neighborhood was built there.

The government buys the land and supplies. When the homes are complete, loan payments begins. There are income restrictions.

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 5 of 5

nhdwa said on December 1, 2009 at 3:23 PM

Congratulations Housing Hope! You are doing a great job! Great story. Just wanted all the listeners to know that there is also help available in other areas of the state and not just Snohomish County. Northwest Housing Development has the same program in King, Pierce, Thurston and Grays Harbor Counties. (www.nhdwa.org). In Whatcom and Skagit County, contact www. whatcomskagithousing.com. In Kitsap and Mason County, www.kccha.org. In Lewis, Clark and Cowlitz County, www.lccac.org. Keep up the good work. Thanks to USDA Rural Development for their support.

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natet said on November 24, 2009 at 3:30 PM

Just to correct and add to a few bits of the story: Housing Hope is a non-profit organization, not a "government program". They operate a host of supportive services and affordable housing designed to empower families with low incomes or who are experiencing homelessness to grow in self-sufficiency. One of those programs--Self-Help, which Housing Hope has operated in Snohomish County for 16 years and through which over 200 families have become proud homeowners, is largely underwritten by the US Dept. of Agriculture. Housing Hope itself buys the land, which the family-builders then buy from Housing Hope at fair market value, with fixed-33 or 38 year loans they obtain from the USDA. Those loans also cover the cost of construction materials. From there the families, many of whom are single mothers, put in up to 30 hours a week for roughly a year, in addition to other work and family commitments, all for the chance to create a better, stronger future for their family.

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hadeev said on November 24, 2009 at 11:44 AM

Amen to messejd! @Nobelprizewinner - What you fail to realize is that these people built houses for over a year, braving the elements, in addition to going to their full-time jobs. They didn't just build their own house. They helped build everybody's house. It's like working a 65-70 hour workweek all year long. In case you didn't notice, not all these folks building houses are young, or in the best physical condition. All that matters is that they stayed the course, went the distance and gained a big reward for their labor. And another thing, they're not getting the house for free. The very fact that everyone had a hand in building each other's home will most likely guarantee they will keep up the appearance of the neighborhood. It takes a whole village to raise up a child, but it took ten families to build the neighborhood first. I found your comment to be arrogant and insensitve at best.

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messejd said on November 24, 2009 at 10:27 AM

Wow!! It is the people like you that hold the people like me down. I am a Housing Hope client, and you have no right to judge anyone, there is only one judge, and sorry to burst your bubble, but you are not him. Housing Hope is a program that helps people who want and need the help, it is our second chance at life. Everyone has a diiferent story, and I am not going to try to figure out the womans story who you are judging. Bad things happen to good people, and thank God for this program to help the ones who actually want the help. It is an intensive program, and sometimes you have to bend over backwards and touch your toes to make things work. This is not a "Free hand out program" like you make it out to be. We have to put more effort into it, it is like a 2nd or 3rd job in order to build your own house through Housing Hope. So do us all a favor, get off your pedastol, and quit judging others. Not all of us were born with a silver spoon in out mouths.

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nobelprizewinner said on November 23, 2009 at 8:58 PM

no wonder these people need a government program to get them into a house, they are whining about REAL work. gee, it'd be nice if the people who bought houses they could afford and make their payments on time get a low-interest loan as well. when i tried to refinance ealier this year into a lower rate (fixed), the mortgage "specialist" told me i had to be 90 days delinquent on my payment before i qualified for a lower rate. what kind of $hit is that?

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