FeedsWestland officials celebrate new Habitat partnership
Click image to enlarge
Westland Mayor Bill Wild welcomes Kanette Washington to her new home, renovated through a partnership with the city and Habitat for Humanity.“This is a blessing,” Kanette Washington said last Thursday. “I’m 40 years old and I have a home.”
Washington was in the basement of her recently refurbished home in the City of Westland, a formerly vacant dwelling brought to like-new status through a cooperative effort with the city and Habitat for Humanity.
City officials and representatives of the world-wide organization were on hand to welcome her to her new residence; it’s the first Habitat project in Westland.
“It’s a good thing,” said Mayor Bill Wild. He said the city used funds from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Since the purpose of the NSP is to eliminate the negative impact of vacant, foreclosed homes, he said he thought Habitat for Humanity would be a good partnership.
“We hit it right off and it’s just grown from there,” said Wild. The organization is working on other homes in the city, too, with projects that should be complete early next year.
Gil Schuckman, president of the board of directors for the western Wayne County branch of Habitat for Humanity, said the home on Vincent Street was a good match for a complete renovation-which is a new program offered by Habitat. They usually construct new homes.
“It had good bones, but it needed a lot of work,” said Schuckman.
“It’s the first project we’ve done in the City of Westland,” he added. “We’re looking to do more here.”
In recent years the western Wayne County branch has expanded its scope, providing homes to qualified families in the City of Wayne and Canton Township.
Schuckman said the organization has provided more than 300,000 homes world wide since it was started by former President Jimmy Carter. He said the organization provides the homes, but the homeowners have to buy into the project, physically and financially.
They are required to put in a substantial amount of time on the construction-or, in this case, the renovation. They also have to keep up the home, be a good neighbor and keep up with the mortgage. The mortgages are provided at zero-interest.
“It’s a hand up, not a hand out,” said Schuckman. “They still have to keep up the homes. They still have to keep up a mortgage.”
The benefits are many, said Alice Dent, executive director of the western Wayne branch of Habitat for Humanity. She said recipients of Habitat homes report less family strife, less illness, better grades and even a change in their educational goals.
“A lot of people go back to college,” she said. “They’re doing things they never thought they would.”
Washington, who has three children, fell into difficulty through no fault of her own. She had a good job at Farmer Jack’s, but lost it when that chain closed down. Now she’s working at a dollar store, earning minimum wage.
She said she appreciates the home and all the organization has
done for her.
“It’s very beautiful and I’m very happy,” said Washington. “I’m just a blessed person.”
