It's very close to done.
The Habitat for Humanity build in Humboldt is nearly ready for the families to move in.
Construction of the Habitat for Humanity duplex - each side has four bedrooms over 1,900 square feet on both floors - on the east side of Humboldt has been ongoing since July. The structure has gone from a hole in the ground to a shell to where it is now - needing just a few finishing touches before it switches from house to home for two local families.
Carpet has to go down in the basement on one side of the duplex, reported Connie Danyluik of the Humboldt Habitat for Humanity committee on January 14.
The electrician has a bit of work to complete this week, and there's a little plumbing yet to do, she added.
The kitchen counters will be installed by the end of the week, and all the appliances should be in as well. The water has to be turned on, but the heat and power are already functioning.
"The basement ceiling will be done in the next day or two," Danyluik said, and besides some baseboards, doors and trimwork, that's it for the to-do list.
"There's a good bunch of people volunteering for this week," she noted, so things should move along quite well.
Volunteers had been sparse in the last two weeks before Christmas and the first week after New Year's, but now it seems there are plenty able to give some time to get this project completed.
"We had a fair number last week, and this week, we should have three or four people every day," she reported.
Things are on schedule to have both families moved in by February 1.
The two families who will own the homes when they are complete are Christine Knutson and her children Skyler and McKenzie, and Greg and Toni Pascal and their three children, Alex, Kaydence and Shyanne.
Both are working families, with children, who simply don't make enough at their jobs to be able to afford a down payment on a home. The Habitat for Humanity program allows them to give sweat equity in place of that down payment, and the family holds and pays a mortgage on the home through Habitat.
They don't get the house for free, as many think. They definitely work for it, and pay for it, just not in a traditional way. There are also provisions in place that prevent them from selling the home for profit within a certain time frame.
Already, both families have completed the 500 hours of work on the house required by Habitat homeowners, but they haven't stopped there.
"They are still working to help finish it," said Danyluik, who added that both families are very excited about moving in.
Both families have reported that they've learned a lot throughout the construction process.
There's a sense of satisfaction among the family members, Danyluik feels. "Knowing they've put in so much work... it's got to feel good," she noted.
Both families were in their side of the duplex painting over the Christmas break.
"They worked that week and painted their entire basements," she said.
Right now, the building is so close to done, "they can visualize where their furniture is going to go. It's so exciting."
Each side of the duplex is not huge or fancy, Danyluik noted, but it's well built, and will be a nice, new home of their own for these families.
The Humboldt Habitat for Humanity committee is also very close to their goal of raising $250,000 in goods and funds to build this duplex.
While a final calculation still has to be done, with all the materials, labour and cash that's been donated, "we are fairly close to having the funds needed," Danyluik reported.
They are holding one last fundraiser - a steak night at the Bella Vista Inn on January 25.
It will be held in a banquet room, not the bar, she stressed, because they want to urge people to bring their kids. They've even organized a chicken finger dinner option for kids.
"We're hoping to encourage people to bring their families to support these families," she said.
The support for this project has already been phenomenal. Businesses from Humboldt and surrounding communities donated days of work, goods and money to this project. And volunteers came from all over to help out in their spare time.
"We have to commend our volunteers. There were very, very few days where there were no volunteers. There was always at least one, sometimes three or four, and on one day, 20," she smiled. And all came excited to help out, and ready to work.
Tim Prytula has been an excellent build supervisor, she added.
"Any volunteer you talked to told you he was awesome to work with," Danyluik noted.
Many of the volunteers had absolutely no building experience at all, and relied on Prytula to walk them through what they needed to do.
"He is so patient," Danyluik said of the supervisor. "He'll explain things... how and why...He was the perfect choice for the job."
A key ceremony is being organized for sometime in February, to officially hand over the keys to the families, though they will already be moved in at the time.
The yard around the duplex will be completed in the spring, Danyluik added.
There was talk, before this build began last year, of building another Habitat for Humanity duplex on the lot the organization owns to the north of the current build site.
But while the committee hopes another duplex is built, they don't plan on it happening within the next year - maybe two or three years down the line.
"This committee needs a break," she grinned, adding that she hopes more people will come forward to head the committee for the next build.
The break would also be good for the local volunteer base, and all of those who sponsored this build, Danyluik feels.
"A lot of companies donated a lot of time, energy and materials. We don't want to turn around in two months and ask them to do that again," she stated.
But in a year, or 18 months, there may be enough interest to do this again.
"Hopefully people talk about their experiences, and next time more companies step forward and look at giving," she stated. "Hopefully, people talk about it in a positive way, so next time it's not a totally new experience for people... and we attract more volunteers."
There is definitely enough interest from families in need to do another build, Danyluik added.
"Families are asking when the next one will be. They want to apply."
Danyluik said the committee believes those showing interest are new families, not among those who applied last year for this first project.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization working toward a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. The organization mobilizes volunteers and partners to build homes that provide families of low income with access to affordable homeownership. Homeowners must contribute a minimum of 500 hours of volunteer labour toward the building of their home, and will hold a mortgage on the home through Habitat when it is complete.
