Habitat selects Arcadia for first home in county
Arcadia has been selected as the site for Habitat for Humanity's first home construction in Trempealeau County. Kahya Fox, executive director of the La Crosse area organization which covers Trempealeau County, told the city council last Tuesday that Habitat for Humanity will be seeking the city's help in finding a suitable lot and recruiting up to 175 volunteers.
"I think this is a great idea," said Mayor Rob Reichwein. "We all realize we're in need of housing." City administrator Chad Hawkins said the Arcadia economic development committee would be the logical group to coordinate the work. Fox said donated or discounted building lots are important to getting the project underway, and that the type of housing could be based on the nature of the site. "We've demolished and rebuilt homes, rehabbed them and built high-density properties," Fox said. She said the selection process for who would buy the home will begin this spring, while construction could start this fall. She said the homes are intended for low-income individuals who otherwise would not be able to be homeowners. Fox said candidates would also be judged based on some barrier they might be confronting, such as living in sub-standard housing.
"I also want to eliminate some misconceptions," Fox said. "We don't give the houses away. The buyer invests 350 to 400 hours of sweat equity into the construction, and then pays the full appraised value price for the home." Habitat for Humanity does underwrite the mortgage so it can be interest-free. She said the process for selecting the home owner is "very rigorous" and includes consideration of credit scores, income and a willingness to partner with the group. Fox said the La Crosse organization decided to build a home in Arcadia after adoption of a new strategic plan that requires more homes to be built more quickly. She said Habitat for Humanity has helped LaCrosse revitalize neighborhoods. Fox said Habitat for Humanity will provide tools and construction managers for the project, and that the typical home requires 2,500 hours of volunteer work.
