JACKSON, Mich. — Latoya Hinds is finally a homeowner.
“It means a lot for me to become a homeowner just because I never had a home before of my own,” she said.
Hinds is one of two families who were accepted as a family partner with Habitat for Humanity in Jackson. It was a two-year process of financial counseling, homeowner education and 300 hours of “sweat equity,” or volunteer work in helping build their own homes.
“If they decide they want one we start working with them on helping them build the house,” Greater Jackson Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Wendy Clow said. “They have to qualify based on an income level that we have for our program and they have to be willing to partner with just putting in those hours and they have to be able to get a mortgage.”
The homes are part of the DeLand Neighborhood Project, which is located next to downtown Jackson on Franklin and Mechanic Streets. It is a partnership between the Greater Jackson Habitat for Humanity, the city of Jackson and the Community Action Agency.
“There were houses here over the last 15 years,” Clow said. “The city has gone through and demolished a lot of blighted homes. There were homes on these lots that were here before and that were torn down, so they wanted to have new, affordable homes on these lots. We started working together for that purpose here.”
The homes are built to use relatively little energy. They have a wood foundation, are highly insulated and have a solar roof.
“A good day with the sunshine out, they’re not paying for anything electric,” Habitat Project Manager Jason Kamin said. “These homes are probably one of the most efficient homes that, I would say, are in the state of Michigan right now.”
The Greater Jackson Habitat for Humanity hosted their "blitz build" last August, where a substantial amount of work went into building these homes. About 150 people worked over five days putting up the walls and framing and around 500 people were involved in the entire project.
“It was a lot of work, but definitely well worth learning everything,” Hinds said. “I was here when it was just dirt, so being able to see it here now and just knowing that I had helped with this, that’s a big accomplishment.”
When asked about what will be the first thing she does when she moves in, Hind quickly answered:
“I’m going to wash clothes,” she said. “Where I am at now, I don’t have a washer and dryer, so I am dying to just be in my own home, wash clothes and not have to worry about going to the laundromat.”
Habitat for Humanity plans to build two more homes right next door as part of the project.
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