The American Dream is often portrayed as enjoying a family dinner, working a stable job and buying one’s own house, but this dream remains distant for thousands of Americans. Even though the odds work against them, charities combat poverty and unemployment by a variety of means and specialities. Habitat for Humanity is an organization fighting to make the aspiration of homeownership more attainable for the less fortunate.
Working with the Winter Park/Maitland affiliate for 15 years, our school has helped create comfortable, affordable living environments for 14 families. Despite our deep ties with this organization, there has never been a Habitat for Humanity club on campus, until now.
Sophomore Maria Camasmie has always enjoyed spending her Saturday mornings volunteering with friends on the site of the current Habitat project. She has had the opportunity to personally see and experience the good this organization does and how students have been able to play an instrumental role. Despite the organization’s efforts, Camasmie has always felt that we could strengthen our bond with this conglomerate.
In collaboration with the future sponsor, Chaplain Kenneth Vinal, Camasmie is in the process of opening a chapter of this organization in our school. She believes that this club will take our relationship with Habitat to the next level.
“We can show our commitment by doing more than just sending volunteers to build,” Camasmine said. “With a chapter, we can fundraise, educate and advocate for the cause of affordable housing,”
Recently, our school completed our 14th Habitat house and is already involved in the construction of our 15th project. At the presentation of the fourteenth house, those who attended witnessed an abundance of gratitude and joy.
The recipients, Jennifer Figueroa and her daughter, were overcome by tears as they accepted a place for their young family to attain a piece of the American Dream. Without the help of our volunteers, none of this could have been accomplished. In his benediction over the house, Vinal stated the ideals and values that this organization fosters.
“This is a house built on a solid foundation of love and service,” he said.
The process of financing these households is far more complex. Contrary to some beliefs, Habitat for Humanity does not provide free residences.
“The key to Habitat’s process is the idea of affordable housing,” Camasmie said.
However, the goal remains to make the houses as cheap and financially sustainable as possible. Habitat families are charged with a down payment, a no-interest monthly mortgage, 100 hours of service to be assigned a house and 500 hours of service to pay off the house.
Promoting continuing development, house recipients work on houses which are received by other families who then contribute to build more houses.
For example, Curtis Lee was the recipient of the very first house that was built over 20 years ago. Even though his dream of homeownership was achieved long ago, he committed himself to the program by continuing to work the construction sites each week to work alongside the volunteers. He has paid off his home and has no obligation to the organization anymore but still continues to support the goals of Habitat for Humanity.
To realize the goal of affordable housing, volunteering is essential to the success of the program because it cuts the costs of construction. Camasmie and Vinal believe that a club on our campus will increase the number of recruits who help on the development sites. The involvement of volunteers is necessary throughout the long and grueling process till the awaited completion.
“It takes about 7 months to build a house,” Vinal said.
However, the procedure of selecting the recipients of the domain is even more intricate than the construction of the house. There are three main pillars of the selection process.
Initially, applicants are required to have a genuine need for adequate housing. After this task is completed, potential homeowners must have a yearly gross income between 30-60% of the median income as set forth by Orange County. Finally, candidates need to be willing to invest five hundred hours of labor into their prospective house.
If they meet? these criteria, families are allowed to apply for the opportunity to receive a house. Despite their qualification, families still have to invest into their household.
“Our homes take between 20-30 years to be paid off just like any other family that has entered into homeownership,” Kassi Bernard said, executive director of the organization. “Our program is different in the fact that they are not paying interest on their loan and the house is sold for less than market value to make it affordable.”
The current developing house will be received by the Dunnel family. Troy, Tynisha and their three children (Avani, Jevon and Aylin) will be moving in this summer. In their new house, they will be able to create and form memories congruent to the American Dream.
Even though poverty will always exist, organizations such as Habitat for Humanity limit these hardships. By establishing a club within our school, we can take our collaboration with Habitat to an even higher magnitude. Through the efforts made by the club, the sad reality of homelessness can be alleviated.
“When we work together, statistics become faces with names, stereotypes are broken and everyone has the opportunity to give and receive,” Bernard said. “Only by working together, can we truly change the current state of homelessness in our community, nation and world.”