Habitat for Humanity of Delaware & Union Counties will have a dedication ceremony for its 57th home in Delaware city.
The public is invited to celebrate the Hughes family’s new home at 181 S. Franklin St. 11 a.m. today. There will also be a “pounding,” or an old-fashioned way to help someone by stocking their pantry with non-perishable foods or cleaning supplies — usually given to a family who just built a new home.
“My kids are so excited,” said Becky Hughes, a single mom now living with her daughters, Nicole, 10, and Jane, 8, and three dogs, Duncan, Ruby and Gunner. Her eldest daughter, Destinee, 21, moved out when she became an adult.
Becky works the third shift at Advance Auto Parts Distribution Center, 1675 U.S. Route 42, picking parts for more than two-hundred auto parts stores. But she constantly struggles with renting from a 3-bedroom apartment.
“I didn’t know much about Habitat,” she said.
But she learned about the home ownership opportunity from a friend. She was approved for the program in January and earned her 300 hours of volunteering by attending Home Buyer Education classes, volunteering on the construction sites, assisting within the office and ReStore.
“It was a great experience,” she said, adding that she’s thankful to the volunteers and staff who helped.
The family will move into its new home at the end of October. The home was built by 204 volunteers for a total of 2,067 hours, according to Tod Miller, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Delaware & Union Counties.
“Like all of the homes we build, this home exceeds the Energy Star rating and has a [Home Energy Rating System] rating of 56 which means it is 44 percent more energy efficient than what is required by building code,” he said in an email.
The organization will sell the home to Becky with a zero-interest loan and monthly mortgage payment that is less than 30 percent her monthly income, Miller said.
“We are excited for tomorrow’s dedication ceremony. We will honor all of the volunteer labor and generous community donors who made the completion of this home possible and we will also celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in Becky and her daughter’s lives as Becky becomes the owner of this affordable new home,” he said.
“We at Habitat for Humanity are very proud of Becky and the commitment and dedication that she has shown to realize her dream of owning a home. She has completed the 300 sweat equity hours required of our program and worked 127 hours on the construction of her own home.”
