Family gets keys to Habitat for Humanity home

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This article was published 17/06/2022 (1423 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kim Henry can now say she is a homeowner after a lot of hard work and help from Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

The mom from Shilo, along with her sons Kobe Henry, 19, and Chase Rice, 11, were the centre of attention as they were handed the keys to their house, a brand-new duplex on Franklin Street, Friday.

They also received housewarming gifts and many words of encouragement from friends, family and dignitaries who came to wish the family many happy moments.

“I’m just excited to get into Brandon,” she said after receiving the keys.

Henry said this journey to home ownership started in September when she signed the papers. From there, she also had to undergo thorough background checks, including financial and credit screening, to qualify.

In addition, she and her eldest son, along with friends, had to help build the house as per the agreement with Habitat for Humanity. Most of that work was putting in the walls.

This was on top of commuting from Shilo to her job at East Side Mario’s in Brandon. Following the celebrations, she was eager to unload the moving truck parked outside. After that, she said the family will be adjusting to a new work-life balance, knowing she and her kids finally have a place to call their own.

Getting Henry and her children into their house was a process Habitat for Humanity has been using for decades to help people who may not be able to afford a house on their own.

“We really impart that we are giving people a hand up, not a hand-out,” said Bonnie Mills, communications and engagement manager for Habitat for Humanity’s Brandon chapter. “We are not giving away houses for free. We are giving people a way to purchase their own homes in a way that is affordable.”

The process includes having to meet certain financial thresholds, including having an annual income of at least $32,000 and be below the Manitoba low income cutoff. Applicants must also have a full-time job, live for at least two years in an area and be able to financially afford the home.

Applicants must send in bank and credit card statement, as well as undergo financial background checks and reference checks. To make sure homeownership would be a good fit for someone, Mills said they send all applicants to an outside financial counselling agency to make sure they are comfortable with a mortgage instead of renting.

If all of that goes well, they have two family subcommittee members go and do a home interview with the family and write up a report. If the applicant(s) are considered good candidates, that is sent to the Winnipeg office to a senior management team for final review.

In Henry’s case, Mills said when she heard about her situation, she was sure she would be a good candidate and spoke to her numerous times about applying, eventually convincing her.

Single people are welcome to apply, but there is a preference for families with children, Mills said.

Through partnerships with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and several local stakeholders, the organization has been working to get people into their own homes.

Most notably, each family, along with relatives and friends who wish to volunteer, put in 500 hours of “sweat equity,” helping to build the home they will eventually live in.

When a home is built, it is assessed and sold to her at fair market value. The mortgage is zero dollars down payment, no interest for 15 years and payments are tied to income.

For Henry, that comes to 27 per cent of her income, including property taxes. Whatever Henry pays back goes back to help Habitat for Humanity build more homes and keep the program going.

How many homes each chapter can build depends on the land and houses available in an area. The Brandon chapter received a gift of land in the east end on Franklin and Percy streets where it is currently building more homes.

Mills said building will likely be completed in three years, the Habitat for Humanity will look for other places to build homes.

“We are not selective about where we build, per se. It’s about where opportunities we can build present themselves,” she said, adding the organization helps revitalize neighbourhoods when they can with their builds.

Habitat for Humanity is looking for more people to apply for homes. Anyone interested is asked to contact Mills at bmills@habitat.mb.ca.

»kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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