Four Lancaster families got keys to their first homes Saturday, even as so many others are locked out of theirs by foreclosures.
Luis Rodriguez and Carolina Izquierdo run from the rain Saturday into the home they built on South Que
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The Rodriguez-Izquierdo family in the kitchen of their new Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday. Clockw
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The new homeowners bought the townhomes at cost, with a zero interest mortgage and one percent downpayment.
They also put on toolbelts and gave at least 500 hours "sweat equity" before purchasing the homes from Lancaster Area Habitat for Humanity.
The new structures replace five row-homes in the 700 block of South Queen Street which were destroyed by arson in May, 2002.
Homeowners and about 100 others gathered there for a dedication and blessing ceremony at noon, Saturday.
Rain beat the tent covering the celebration in the courtyard behind the homes. Water ran underfoot, slopping the ground. This didn't dampen spirits, though.
Ramona Cruz, 55, hugged her daughter, Francisca Perez, and sobbed, overwhelmed at standing in a home of her own.
Ramona will move there from Francisca's three-bedroom home on Seymour Street. It was crowded with Francisca's family of four and Ramona's father living there.
Ramona and her dad, Hosea Nunez, 75, occupied the basement. Saturday, they moved into her own four-bedroom townhome.
Behind the Queen Street townhomes, Habitat for Humanity is building four more units that will face Beaver Street. All the homes share a courtyard.
"Habitat is both the builder and the lender," said Executive Director Stacie Reidenbaugh.
The housing crisis has had little impact on these homeowners, she said, because they do not have to qualify for a loan from a bank.
Habitat's risk is minimal because the families have "demonstrated good credit history through the Habitat application and selection process and they have participated in workshops on budgeting and responsible use of finances and credit," Reidenbaugh said.
The economy has affected building costs, however. In February, the eight homes were expected to cost $1.5 million to build. Now it's projected to as much as $1.7 million.
"With the current economic climate, we are following the forecasts closely and we are conservatively estimating that [materials and services costs] will continue to increase dramatically over the next four to six months until Phase II is completed," Reidenbaugh said.
Sponsors paid $50,000 per home toward building materials and professional services, such as plumbing, electric, heating, air conditioning and masonry.
The High Companies and Thriven Financial for Lutherans each sponsored two of the finished homes.
Other donations from the community help pay for administrative and construction staff; expenses not rolled into the homeowner's at-cost purchase.
Corporate and individual giving to Habitat has "dropped significantly in the past few weeks," Reidenbaugh said.
Meanwhile, the housing crisis produced a groundswell of potential applicants. Just a year ago, their ranks totalled 270. This month, they were 540 interested families.
Since construction started last November, 1,575 people volunteered 8,600 hours, said Wayne Gongaware, president of Lancaster Area Habitat for Humanity.
Martina Arroyo, her husband Rene, and daughters Rosanna and Rosa moved into their Habitat home from an overcrowed two-bedroom apartment where they lived with extended family.
Luis Rodriguez, his wife Carolina Izquierdo, and their school-age daughters, Odett and Gabriella, left an overcrowded, substandard home for their townhouse yesterday.
Cristina Madera and her sons, Christian, 12, and John, 6, became the first in her family to own a home Saturday. Long after she put in the 500 hours of work, and in spite of working fulltime, she continued to labor on her home and those of her neighbors.
"I came to this country with my three daughters without a penny in my pocket and they were able to go to school," said Ramona with daughter, Rosa Perez-Perdomo, translating. "They live a good life and I'm happy to see that coming here is bringing some fruit to the family."
Rosa bought a Habitat home five years ago. The experience inspired the family to help Ramona get her own. She applied on the last day of the deadline.
Ramona's daughter's and their families helped earn her sweat equity. Ramona was at the site every day doing what she could, but physical disabilities prevented her from doing the harder labor.
"It's like a miracle, the fact that she's so ill and not able to work, doesn't know the language ... and then she gets her house," said Francisca. "On her own no matter how hard she worked, she can't."
Another daughter, Eugenia Perez-Ortega, said, "It's more than a house, it's a dream come true."
Jeannette Scott is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact her at jscott@lnpnews.com or at 291-8689.
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