Habitat for Humanity builds house in Wayland

Henry County Habitat for Humanity completed the construction of a new house in Wayland last week.

The house was built for a mother and her two children. It has three bedrooms and one bathroom.

For Henry County Habitat for Humanity, it’s the 28th house they have built in the county.

Volunteers spent over 1,377 hours working to build the house.

Habitat for Humanity only pays for excavation, electrical, plumbing and heating, and cement. Volunteers cover everything else in the building process.

The organization pairs with several different contractors, who each work on separate pieces of the house. They also partner with the prison, which allows inmates to work on the homes as well.

Each of the houses built are based on the needs of the individuals or family.

For people wanting to buy a house from the organization, following an application, they must meet specific criteria.

They have to be able to afford a 20-year mortgage, and they must hold a job for a set number of years. They must show they are in need of a home, whether they are in an overcrowded or unsafe situation.

Lisa Diener, Henry County Habitat for Humanity Operations Manager, says that the best part of the process is helping families in need.

“The part I like the most is getting to help a family that’s been struggling to break that cycle,” Diener said. “A lot of families are living in apartments or with family. It gives them a helping hand up. Otherwise, they would not be able to afford.”

One example Diener gave of someone they helped was a mother who had five kids who spent five hours a week doing laundry at a laundromat. Diener said that laundry is something that she wouldn’t have thought of, but having laundry in their own home is essential for a single mom.

Comments: hunter.moeller@southeastiowaunion.com