Four Families, Struggling, Get New Lease on Life with Habitat Homes.

Single Parents, Parents with Newborn Twins, Disabled Mother Receive Affordable Housing for the Holidays

BRANDYWINE, W.Va. -- After 26 moves, Corrie Bjorkgren hopes "27" is the charm. After eight months in a motel, Darren Labourdette and his daughter will kick up their feet. Terry Harvey's newborn twins get their own room. And for Lisa Blankenship, a trailer falling apart at the seams is history.

With twelve family members in all, the Bjorkgrens, Labourdettes, Harveys and Blankenships received a warm welcome from their neighbors today at a new Habitat for Humanity neighborhood in a pocket of poverty-stricken Appalachia. To be completed in late 2008, the subdivision, South Fork Crossing, represents safe, warm, affordable housing and an exit from temporary or dilapidated and more costly living conditions.

Constructing a Habitat home requires thousands of volunteer hours, financial donations and a mandatory minimum 250 hours of "sweat equity" by each able-bodied individual buying one. Homes sell for $75,000. With zero closing costs, 0% fixed-interest mortgage payments and other financial assistance available for qualified buyers, Habitat homes spell the difference between family insecurity and a future with promise.

Each three-bedroom home opened today utilizes a "green" radiant heating system in the floor. Energy bills should average $40 per month, compared to heating bills that often exceed $200 for occupants of substandard housing.

Free Christmas Trees

Today's welcoming party at South Fork Crossing included Habitat volunteers, newfound neighbors and a message from U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2), a strong supporter of Habitat and increasing the stock of affordable housing across Appalachia.

"What a wonderful time for this celebration," said Congresswoman Capito. "Christmas is a time for sharing and family, and these families now have wonderful new homes to help celebrate the holidays. It's really heartwarming to see."

Volunteerism is the key to Habitat homes. Both volunteers and eventual buyers build the compact, sturdy structures. Today, inside each home, a complimentary Christmas tree beckoned, signaling the official start of the holiday season and a new life.

"I was really surprised at how many people gave up their time to work on our house," said Corrie Bjorkgren, a disabled mother of 12- and 16-year-old girls who is leaving behind a large, heat-inefficient farmhouse. "This hopefully will be the last time I have to move," she said, referring to 26 prior moves across the eastern United States. "My girls will finally have their own rooms that they can paint and decorate, and we will always have a stable place to come home to," added Bjorkgren, whose income was reduced when she became disabled while working as an elementary teacher. Bjorkgren, who contributed sweat equity in the new neighborhood five or six days a week, was dubbed the "volunteer queen" by coworkers.

For Terry Harvey, contributing sweat equity came naturally. Harvey, who builds roof trusses at Skyline Building in nearby Harrisonburg, VA, shared a trailer with rotting walls and floors and leaking windows with his partner, Misty Minor, and their two-year-old son and one-month-old twin son and daughter.

"I set some of the walls and roof in that house, did painting, trim work and electrical," Harvey said. "It if wasn't for Habitat's low costs, we wouldn't be able to get a house. It's probably the best thing that's ever happened to us."

Darren Labourdette, a cabinet maker and veteran of Desert Storm, came to Pendleton County to visit a friend in 1992 and decided to stay. He had been living with his daughter in a motel for eight months. "We have always rented and finally we'll have a place to call home," Labourdette said. "Katie and I are very grateful. Our favorite fishing spot is right down the road."

Also moving in were Lisa and Christian Blankenship, a mother and son who struggled with decaying rental housing, continual repairs and high heating bills until discovering Habitat. "Every place we have rented has not been suitable for a young boy," Christian's mother said. "This house will provide him with a better environment in which to study and learn. It's a dream come true for both of us."

Grant Money Aided Construction

Attending today's housewarming were representatives of Pendleton Community Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, which provided a total of $180,000 in affordable housing grants for 15 Habitat homes. Also on hand was a representative of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, which provided a $63,000 land development loan and a $142,000 grant for infrastructure and construction costs associated with the first four homes. The Governor's Civil Contingent Fund also put forth $59,000 to support the project.

Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that relies upon contributions from private individuals and businesses. Since 1988, Almost Heaven Habitat has partnered with 72 families to build new homes and assisted more than 200 other families with repairs to existing homes. For more information, visit www.almostheavenhabitat.org.