They've got the land, a plan and seven applications from families.
Humboldt's first Habitat for Humanity project is rolling right along.
Habitat for Humanity is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to building simple, decent, affordable housing for low-income families. Community-level offices operate all across Canada, and the project in Humboldt will be affiliated with the Saskatoon branch of Habitat.
The families who receive a Habitat home do not get it for free. They will pay a mortgage on the property, and will donate 500 hours to help build it, along with a host of volunteers from the community.
What the Habitat program gives these families is an opportunity to own a home - something that would have been out of their reach otherwise.
"They are being given an opportunity to buy a home, but they're not given a home," said Ivan Buehler, who co-chairs the Humboldt project with Bob Bellamy.
A number of local families are looking to take advantage of the opportunity being offered them in Humboldt and have applied to receive one of the two homes to be built here.
"Seven families have applied," said Buehler. "Some applications are still not fully complete... (but) they have until March 15 to complete the process."
The applications are sent to Habitat for Humanity in Saskatoon, where they will be processed.
Seven is a good number, Buehler said.
"It's a large enough pool," he noted.
It also shows that if seven worthy families have applied for a Habitat home, there is a need for this kind of project in this area, and therefore this build could be the first of many.
The Habitat homes to be built in Humboldt are semi-detached units - two individually-owned houses joined by a common wall.
Duplex is another way to describe them, Bellamy stated.
"Each family gets a separate title," he explained.
There will be five steps up to the front door of each, Buehler explained, as the basements will be raised to accommodate large windows.
Each side of the duplex will be 940 square feet on the main level, have three bedrooms above ground and the basement will be left open for development, with plumbing for a bathroom roughed in.
If a family requires the use of a basement, a bedroom would be built down there, and the bathroom finished, Buehler said.
"It depends on the number of children and the family's size," he said.
The homes won't be anything extravagant, either, the two said.
"It's affordable housing that we're looking at," Bellamy stated. High quality, but basic.
Everything in them will be new, it was added, as they need to qualify for the Saskatchewan new home warranty program.
The homes will be built on land now owned by Habitat for Humanity on the east side of Humboldt.
Donations
Part of building Habitat for Humanity houses involves collecting donations - of cash, services and building materials.
Many local people have already stepped up and promised in-kind donations, Buehler said.
Things like landscaping, eavestroughing and safety equipment have been promised, Bellamy noted.
Even the plans for the elevations of the house were all donated, they said.
The City of Humboldt also donated employee time to help them with the site plans, and the paperwork for building permits.
"It's all been really appreciated, what they've done," said Buehler.
Cash donations have also come in, though an exact value is not known at this point, as some have been sent to the local committee, and others to the Saskatoon office.
The major financial boost to their project will hopefully come soon.
"Once we have the actual title documents from Information Services Corp. and the City, and we have confirmed two families, then we can go to the province and get (a grant for) $100,000," Buehler said. "When we have that, we will be where for sure we need to be."
Hiring a site manager for the project will also occur after that grant has been received.
It is hoped construction will begin this spring.
They have to raise $250,000 total in cash and in-kind donations to build a duplex like the one they have planned, they said.
There is interest in the community in this project, the two noted.
"We get stopped... in the checkout line, sometimes out in the street, by people asking what they can do to help," Buehler said.
Volunteers even stepped forward at the two family selection meetings they held in Humboldt.
"I think the word is out there," Bellamy said.
The word should spread even faster thanks to a new fundraiser being planned.
Building with Love, a Middle Eastern fantasy fundraiser in support of Habitat for Humanity in Humboldt will be held March 24 at the Legion Hall.
The banquet will feature belly dancing by Sheila Archer and her troupe, Hizzy. A silent auction is also being planned.
About 225 tickets will be sold - advance tickets are available at Conexus, Shopper's Drug Mart and Behiel, Will and Biemans law office.
