HURRICANE — After logging nearly 13,000 hours of hard work to help build their own homes, nine families will celebrate their accomplishment this week.
The public is invited to the open house at 451 N. 680 West in Hurricane Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. A short program will be followed by tours of all the homes.
The group of families, with two individuals and seven couples built their new affordable homes through the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, with the assistance of Utah non-profit Self-Help Homes.
“This is a wonderful program that lets families achieve the dream of home ownership through their own hard work,” Self-Help Homes spokesperson Julie Lindquist said in a statement.
Families participating in the program provide at least 70 percent of the labor needed to build the houses, including the framing, roofing, cabinet installation, drywall, painting, etc. This “sweat-equity” helps families who might not otherwise be able to afford a home of their own.
Families work together in groups of 8-10. Each family works on the homes at least 35 hours every week; the houses are built as a group with everyone pitching in to do what is needed.
“No one can move in until all the homes are finished,” Lindquist said. “And these families are not just building houses, they are forming lifelong friendships and learning valuable skills.”
This is the first Self-Help group to build in Hurricane. The second group is already framing their houses and a third group is waiting for development of the next phase of lots.
“We are using new house plans for Hurricane, kind of a Southwest, flat roof design,” Lindquist said. The new homeowners are required to use USDA-approved house plans but can customize their homes by choosing the colors and styles for both the interior and exterior.
“They are really beautiful homes,” Lindquist said. “They’re all unique.”
Low interest rates, very low down payments, and lots of sweat equity keep the homes affordable. Closing costs are worked into the loan, and monthly subsidies are available for most participants.
While Self-Help Homes in Southern Utah is always taking applications and the waiting list is relatively short, ‘high priority’ families are urgently needed right now, Lindquist said. Families of five or more, earning between $45,000 and $48,950, are considered high priority.
The Mutual Self-Help Housing program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development; USDA provides low-interest mortgages for the homeowners.
In Washington County, the Mutual Self-Help Housing program is administered by Self-Help Homes, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization which has already overseen the construction of more than 500 homes in Utah.
For more information about the program and how to apply, visit the Self-Help Homes website ,the Facebook page or contact Julie Lindquist at [email protected].
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.