HOUSE OF DREAMS RISES HABITAT HOME IN WORKS FOR FAMILY.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

PALMDALE - The foundation has been put in, and the walls have been raised on the first Habitat for Humanity house in the Antelope Valley.

New owner Carolyn Marston and her children joined with Palmdale City Council and Habitat for Humanity members to raise the first wall on their long-awaited home on Saturday morning.

``We're hoping to have the house done by May-June...as long as there are no big delays,'' said Terri-Lei Robertson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity.

Work on the house has been progressing but the group still needs another $20,000 to finish it off.

``We've been able to raise everything but about $20,000. We feel good about that,'' said Robertson.

More than 300 volunteers are registered to do construction work with Habitat for Humanity in the Antelope Valley, with 15 volunteers working at the Fourth Street East site each day.

The organization is still looking for more families to qualify for their second and third houses, which will be a duplex located at Avenue Q-2 and 5th Street East. There are currently 10 families going through the qualifying process.

``Our goal is to start our second house by the end of the year,'' said Robertson who stated that they chose duplexes because of their lower cost. ``We can build them a little cheaper than a single family home but it will be designed so it looks like each (family) has their own house,'' said Robertson.

The house will cover 1,300 square feet while the duplexes will each be 1,200 to 1,300 square feet.

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5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Homeowner Carolyn Marston examines the new wall raised Saturday by volunteers for Habitat for Humanity in Palmdale. Marston and her children hope to move in this summer.

(2 -- 5 -- color) Habitat for Humanity volunteers raise the first wall of a planned home Saturday in Palmdale.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer