South County Housing kicks off affordable projects
For the first time since the sewer moratorium ended, South
County Housing is in the beginning stages of a new neighborhood
of
”
sweat equity
”
homes in Hollister with funding from the city’s redevelopment
agency.
The homes’ first sets of walls were put up last week and the 25
new
”
self-help
”
houses are expected to be finished within nine months. In the
program, the downpayments of the homes are essentially the
homeowners helping with construction.
South County Housing started initial construction last fall,
building the streets and sidewalks, Senior Project Manager Andy
Lief said. Now the new homeowners are working up to 40 hours a week
building their homes, doing framework, roofing and hanging up
doorways. Professionals do all technical portions of the homes,
such as plumbing and electrical engineering.
South County Housing kicks off affordable projects
For the first time since the sewer moratorium ended, South County Housing is in the beginning stages of a new neighborhood of “sweat equity” homes in Hollister with funding from the city’s redevelopment agency.
The homes’ first sets of walls were put up last week and the 25 new “self-help” houses are expected to be finished within nine months. In the program, the downpayments of the homes are essentially the homeowners helping with construction.
South County Housing started initial construction last fall, building the streets and sidewalks, Senior Project Manager Andy Lief said. Now the new homeowners are working up to 40 hours a week building their homes, doing framework, roofing and hanging up doorways. Professionals do all technical portions of the homes, such as plumbing and electrical engineering.
All the homes will follow one of two floor plans depending on the family’s need.
There are 10 four-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom houses being built, Lief said. Homes range in sizes of 1,200 to 1,400 square feet and every house will have a two-car garage.
The homes also will be installed with “passive solar” technology that will allow the house to stay warm during the winter and cool off in the summer.
South County Housing employs two constructional supervisors who make sure the homeowners follow the plans. Each house usually has nearly 10 volunteers who help with the building process.
Homeowners are scheduled to put in at least 1,500 hours into the project, Lief said. Most owners work Saturday and Sunday but at times they will continue construction after their normal job.
“We try to make sure they can work after they get off work,” Lief said.
The new homes will be on a lot between Graf Road and Buena Vista Road in Hollister’s west side. Construction started in June but the first set of framing wasn’t erected until this past weekend.
All 25 homes have been filled with families that can afford to pay 30 percent of their monthly salary to mortgages that were worked out with the United States Department of Agriculture rural development program, South County Homes Executive Officer Dennis Lalor said.
The average monthly payment is around $800 to $900. The low-interest mortgages, with around 1 to 2 percent interest, have a life span that goes for more than 30 years.
If a homeowner loses his or her job the mortgage freezes for up to two years until the owner finds new employment.
The homes’ price is relatively close to the market value, but because of the low-interest mortgage the homes are more affordable, Lief said.
“It gives people who have lived here their whole lives to be able to afford to stay here,” Lief said.
And that’s the program’s goal – to allow those who have been hit by the bad economy to afford a house, Lalor said.
