Fairfield Habitat receives prefabricated home

FAIRFIELD – A family will soon be able to move into a new home courtesy of Greater Fairfield Area Habitat for Humanity.

The local Habitat chapter received a prefabricated home on Monday, Dec. 18 that was brought to town on a trailer from Des Moines and placed at 902 N. 12th St. The home was delivered by Homes for Iowa, which uses Iowa Prison Industries to build the homes and train the crew. This is the second time that Fairfield Habitat has gotten a home from Homes for Iowa, and the organization plans to use Homes for Iowa for its next home, too.

Amber Stump McDowell, president of Fairfield’s Habitat chapter, said the house is 1,200 square feet, and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It cost $90,000, which the homeowners are required to pay back to Habitat through a no-interest loan. On top of that, the adults in the household are required to give Habitat 200 hours in “sweat equity,” either by putting on the decks to the front and side doors, building the shed, or by working at Habitat ReStore on West Burlington Avenue.

Stump McDowell said the Fairfield Habitat chapter has liked working with Homes for Iowa, and that’s why the board has already made up its mind to use the service again for next year’s home.

“It’s really smart budget-wise because we don’t have cost overruns like we did with stick-built homes,” Stump McDowell said. “With those, material costs can change, or you need to make corrections, or maybe you don’t get as many volunteers so it takes longer. There are so many variables that can affect the total cost that you eliminate when you use a prebuilt home.”

Fairfield Habitat has previously relied on a mixture of volunteer labor, contractors and labor from the homeowners to build its homes. Until just a couple of years ago, it could also count on a big helping hand from a construction class at Fairfield High School. However, that class was discontinued due to low enrollment, and that meant Fairfield Habitat had to look for other sources of labor. Last year, an Amish family stepped up to erect the walls, trusses and roof in a single day.

Fairfield Habitat gets a steady stream of income in the form of mortgages from homeowners. Stump McDowell said it receives 13 mortgage payments each month, which provides the group with about $48,000 annually. It also receives a hefty sum from the proceeds at Habitat ReStore, which sells used furniture, appliances, hardware and many other items. Stump McDowell said that the ReStore gave about $100,000 to Fairfield Habitat this past fiscal year.

The new home that was just placed on its foundation at North 12th Street is the fifth home Fairfield Habitat has built or installed on that street. The group plans to put six more homes on undeveloped lots along the street.

Stump McDowell said the group is always looking for volunteers, and would appreciate donations as well. She wanted to remind residents that the easiest way to give is by going to fairfieldhabitat.org.

“The Greater Fairfield Area Habitat for Humanity is a 501C3 organization, with a local board of directors, that provides a home to a qualified and deserving family every year,” Stump McDowell said. “Please consider us for your charitable contributions.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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