HABITAT HOMES NOT YET LINKED WITH FAMILIES GRADING TO START ON 3 LOTS.

Byline: ERIC LEACH Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY -- Habitat for Humanity volunteers hope to start grading soon on lots for three homes and begin framing them by the end of the year -- but have yet to select the families who will live there.

The families will receive no-interest loans from the city of Simi Valley and Habitat for Humanity to buy the houses, which officials estimated would end up costing each family about $100,000, compared to the median-priced home in the area of over $600,000.

In June, Habitat held two orientations for families interested in applying for the project, and officials say they plan to hold one more meeting.

Although more than 100 people attended the first meetings, Habitat officials wanted to give more a chance.

``We didn't feel we had opened the opportunity to everyone in the community,'' said Karen Jensen, a program manager for Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. ``We felt that there were a lot of people in the community who were not aware of the potential opportunity to become Habitat homeowners.''

In the meantime, volunteers are raising funds and gearing up for construction.

Grading should start soon, and utilities could be in by November, said Scott Kuklin, a Habitat volunteer coordinating preparations for building the homes.

This is the first project of its kind Habitat has undertaken in Simi Valley. The city purchased the land this year for $120,000 from the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and sold it to Habitat for the same price in July.

Some of the main sponsors helping fund the project are the Simi Valley-Moorpark Association of Realtors, Starbucks Coffee, Card Service International and the Conejo Valley Interfaith Group.

The Realtors are sponsoring a bowl-a-thon to raise money for Habitat from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Brunswick Bowl, 5255 Cochran St. A fee of $15 will include three games and shoe rental.

The Realtors group is also asking for donations to support the project and will help provide volunteers to build the houses.

The Realtors are responsible for raising $100,000, and members are excited that the work will begin soon, said Kolina MacRury of Troop Real Estate, who is working on the project.

``It's a very good cause, and we are definitely looking for community support,'' MacRury said.

The homes will be built on 1.52 acres south of Royal and Sequoia avenues, along the Arroyo Simi across from the new Vista del Arroyo Park.

Kuklin said the land now slopes down toward the arroyo, so it will be necessary to bring in some 2,300 cubic yards of dirt, or about 173 dump trucks full, to raise a portion of the land.

``Because we are raising the grade five feet, there has to be retaining walls on three sides of the property,'' Kuklin said. ``Then we have to dig the trenches to bring the water, gas, electricity, television and telephone onto the property.''

The families who apply to help build and live in the homes will go through a screening process, with interviews, visits to their current homes, credit checks and other procedures to make sure they are qualified for the project, Habitat officials said.

Each family will be required to put in 500 hours of work building their homes and others.

The families applying to buy and help build the homes need to have incomes of 30 percent to 50 percent of the median income in Ventura County, which is about $77,000. And they need to currently live in substandard housing in Simi Valley.

People interested in volunteering to help Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County or in getting more information about the Simi Valley project can call the group's Oxnard office at [phone], or log on to www.habitatventura.org.

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

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