Habitat for Humanity keys presented to two women finally open the door to homes of their own.
By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer
Published December 18, 2005
[Times photo: Stephen J. Coddington]
Deborah Perry, 43, Deborah Perry, 43, unpacks at her new home on N Rooks Avenue in Inverness on Friday. Habitat for Humanity began building the home in February.
INVERNESS - Two people got brand new homes for the holidays, as Habitat for Humanity reached a milestone by building its 25th house in Citrus County.
Deborah Perry and Diedra Newton are now neighbors on N Rooks Avenue, living side by side in the two new Habitat for Humanity homes. Perry, 43, moved into her house in November and Newton, 33, got her house on Dec. 9. "It's been a very good year," Newton said, noting that she was also selected as Support Person of the Year at Lecanto High School, where she is a teacher's aide.
Both women said this is the first time they've owned homes of their own.
"I've rented for the last four years, or lived with my relatives while this house was going up," Perry said. "Even when I was married, we still rented."
Habitat for Humanity arranges interest-free financing for its customers, who sign a 25-year mortgage. That, along with the required 500 hours of "sweat equity," is the cornerstone of the program. Sweat equity means that the prospective homeowners have to work for 500 hours helping Habitat build someone else's home, working in the thrift store or building their own home.
"Like most people, I didn't know anything about building a home," Perry said. "But after you just start showing up for a while, the contractors, who are volunteers, will start showing you how to do things.
"It also helps me be a better homeowner, because with what I learned I can take care of minor repairs around here more easily," she said.
Terry Steele, the Habitat for Humanity executive director, said the 500 hours of labor help trim the list of prospective applicants.
"They have to be willing to be a partner," he said. "You'd be surprised how many of them decide that it's not for them," he said.
Perry, who has two adult children, was still unpacking items Sunday in her home.
"I've got most of it organized," she said. "Work also requires a lot of my time."
Perry is a certified nursing assistant at Seven Rivers Medical Center.
She said Habitat helped her qualify for a home despite her credit problems.
"We take a look at credit, but that's not the only thing we consider," Steele said. "I know a lot of lending institutions say that, but we really mean it."
Perry agreed.
"There was no way at the present I could have qualified for financing," she said. "They were able to look past the credit problems and see where they came from, medical bills, and decide that I was credit-worthy."
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organization, and it works with local pastors to get clients. The Citrus County branch of the organization started in 1993.
"We provide the no-interest mortgages in keeping with the Biblical principle of charging no interest to the poor," Steele said.
Newton said her pastor at Rock Crusher Church of God nominated her for a Habitat home.
Looking around her new three-bedroom, two-bath home on Sunday, Perry summed up her feelings.
"You know, I used to keep my moving boxes folded up under the bed, because I knew that in a year or so I'd need them again because rents would change.
"Now, after I unpack them, I'm going to throw them away."
