Speaking to members of the Barrhead FCSS, The Ripple Connection, Mental Health Outreach, and other organizations, Armand Mercier, the director of family services for Habitat For Humanity in Edmonton, presented his organization’s need for a new family in Barrhead, on Thursday, Jan. 21.
“We are really excited to have an opportunity in Barrhead for another family,” Mercier said, adding that there were several hundred volunteers who helped to build the last home - the unit now vacant - in Barrhead, a few years ago.
It is an awesome opportunity, he said, for a family that is not necessarily destitute, but for anyone in general, who might need a little help moving forward with their lives.
“We are the biggest home builder in the world,” Mercier said, adding over one million homes in over one hundred countries throughout the world, have been built by Habitat For Humanity to date.
“In the Edmonton and Northern Alberta area, we started in 1991 and have served over 450 families. That includes the two, hopefully soon to be three, families in Barrhead. There are other entities that operate out of Edmonton, similar to us, but Habitat’s range encompasses all of the Northern Alberta communities.”
Mercier outlined for those assembled what exactly Habitat is looking for, with regards to the currently available home.
“This is not a subsidized rental,” he said. “It is really important to understand that. It is home ownership. There’s great financial benefit to that. You aren’t just giving your money to a landlord every month, you’re putting it towards your own home.”
According to Mercier, the original need for Habitat For Humanity and the reason the organization was established in the 60’s still exists today, in every Albertan community. “People are renting and fifty per cent of their paychecks go towards rent. How those families are ever going to save up for a down payment, even if they qualify for a mortgage, is beyond me. Even here, in Barrhead, there are dozens of families that require this kind of a hand-up,” he added.
Having a stable place to raise one’s children, he explained, is just as important as not having to worry about whether a landlord is going to sell your apartment. “It also impacts physical and mental health, performance at school, all that stuff,” Mercier said.
To be eligible for the home currently available in Barrhead, families must have at least one child under the age of 18, they must be permanent residents of Canada and have to be living in Barrhead.
“There are exceptions, but this is meant for a first-time, first-ownership family,” he said, adding the mortgages potential families would have to pay are based on incomes. “They never pay more than 25 per cent of their gross and that is what keeps it affordable. The minimum income required is $32,000 and the maximum is $64,500. In most cases, one parent is employed full-time, and the other is casual or else not working, and the mortgage will adjust.”
That being said, Mercier explained, potential families also have to be willing to partner with Habitat For Humanity and will have to work off 500 volunteer hours.
“In most cases, the hours would be spent actually physically building your home,” he said. “Unfortunately, in Barrhead, the home is already built so the family would instead be doing their volunteer hours within the communtiy.”
Those 500 hours, Mercier said, equate to the down payment on the house.
“Volunteers are huge in everything that we do,” he said. “Fundraising, construction, to working with the families themselves, you name it, the volunteers are responsible.”
Mercier explained that all of the materials come from donors and that Habitat For Humanity relies on them completely. “Here in Barrhead, the land was donated through the town and the provincial government. We had lots of fundraising and local contractors donated their time as well. Our homes are nice, well-built homes, but they aren’t fancy.”
Habitat For Humanity homes, he stated, do not come with garages or marble counter-tops.
“The idea is that these homes are first homes, and most people’s first homes aren’t their dream homes,” he added.
According to Mercier, while Habitat For Humanity in Barrhead does not currently require volunteers to help build a home, the organization is looking for potential businesses to offer up hours to the family that is chosen.
“Right now, I am encouraging a family to apply for this house,” he said. “It is not just for the homeless, or the truly destitute, but it is also for hard-working families. That’s why we provide this hand-up, because it goes to anyone who needs it.”
Habitat For Humanity does not have a wait-list, Mercier said, explaining that it is policy to only accept applications if they have homes in the area.
“We haven’t accepted any applications from Barrhead for a few years now, for that reason,” he said. “If you know someone who could benefit from this opportunity, encourage them to get in touch with us. The window for this is quite narrow as we will only be accepting applications here until the end of February.”
The home, a duplex, is located at 4501 59 Avenue, in Barrhead.
Anyone interested in further information, or to enquire about applying for this home, are advised to call (780) 479-3566, or go online at HFH.org.
