MELFORT 鈥� After three years of fundraising, Melfort Habitat for Humanity unveiled their third habitat home in Melfort, 鈥淪asktel Pioneers Home鈥�, named after the local chapter of Sasktel Pioneers.
The unveiling included a ribbon cutting and a ceremony with appearances from Rick Lang, Melfort鈥檚 mayor, and local MLA Todd Goudy.
Brent Lutz, chairman of the Melfort Habitat for Humanity board, said their goal is to get five houses built and lived in 鈥� at which point the mortgage payments will fund the construction of future homes.
鈥淭he program is intended to help people who have sufficient income that they can make regular rental payments, and have a good credit history in the past, and demonstrated that they can do so 鈥� but may not be in a position to qualify for a mortgage at the bank,鈥� Lutz said.
鈥淭hat could mean they鈥檙e short for the additional down payment, or it could be that their employment is sporadic.鈥�
As a result of these mortgage challenges, Habitat for Humanity offers people a home at an interest-free payment rate tied to their income level. All participants of their program are required to commit volunteer hours with the organization.
鈥淥nce we get the five homes, with the support we receive from manufactures, building supply organization, contractors who reduce the rate to us, etc., and the help of volunteers we will be able to sustain the organization without doing, what I would say, is significant fundraising.鈥�
Jamie Gagnon and her four-year-old son, Jace Gagnon, are moving into the home, with their two pets Kitty the cat and Joey the miniature-dachshund.
After a few years of trying to get a mortgage, Jamie said she learned about the program through her sister.
鈥淪he said, put your name in there, just go give it a try. I said I don鈥檛 think I鈥檇 get it, you play the lottery you never get it, right? It鈥檚 not real, it seems too good to be true,鈥� Jamie said. 鈥淎 person can do it. It doesn鈥檛 matter who you are or where you鈥檙e from kind of thing. It鈥檚 a great opportunity.鈥�
She said everybody wants to be a homeowner, but it felt out of her grasp.
鈥淗aving that answer or opportunity to be here, it changes your outlook. Like, 鈥榃ow, I finally got out of renting, this is something I鈥檓 going to be able to call mine, this is something I can call home now, it鈥檚 a beautiful feeling.鈥�
When Jamie first walked into the finished home, she said she cried.
鈥淚t was something special to be a part of it through the whole process,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 still feel like I鈥檓 renting, that it doesn鈥檛 feel like it鈥檚 fully mine 鈥� but it is.鈥�
To change that, she feels it will just take time.
鈥淵ou come from renting for all these years, like ten years of renting. It鈥檚 just something that it鈥檚 always with you. I haven鈥檛 hung up anything on the walls yet... I just can鈥檛 make my decision on where I want things, because this is a permanent decision鈥� this is my home.鈥�
Jace, who was present for the ribbon cutting, said to media that his favourite part of the new house was that it is blue.
