For the past year Habitat for Humanity of Evansville has focused on building homes in Evansville’s Tepe Park Neighborhood.
The goal is to provide housing, and a boost to the surrounding neighborhood. So far 12 new homes have been completed in Tepe Park. The home of single mother Diamond Gold is nearly complete. Right now, she’s sweeping the unfinished interior.
“(I’m) very excited about doing this, about being part of this,” she said. “I'm looking forward to the journey.”
According to the most recent Housing Needs Assessment, Evansville could use more than 3,000 new homes in the next five years. About 300 are needed for households making less than $40,000.
Outside of Gold’s home, Core Crew members of Habitat are nailing up the J-channel for vinyl siding.
Tepe Park is actually the second neighborhood of focus for Habitat for Humanity Evansville. The first was the Jacobsville neighborhood.
Beth Folz, Evansville Habitat executive director, said Tepe Park was one of the first middle class neighborhoods in the city — but not anymore.
“It's a neighborhood that is the second highest poverty rate in our city of any of our neighborhoods, Jacobsville is number one,” she said. “Tepe Park is number two. But there's a lot of great energy around revitalizing this neighborhood.”
This includes non-profit organizations Community One and Hope of Evansville focusing on Tepe park.
Habitat’s goal was to build 24 homes in Tepe Park, but they currently have 28 in various stages of completion.
The city also needs more new homes, according to the same housing needs report. The Majority of the homes in the city were built prior to 1970.
On Wednesday, May 8, the Evansville Habitat dedicated their 600th home. This is an accomplishment only 25 other Habitat organizations have achieved, and none have been this small an organization or market.
This home, will be owned by 22-year old Camron Hailey.
“It's been a long time coming, but I'm excited,” he said. “I get to move in and decorate my son's room, decorate the house, personalize it, do stuff outside inside that I want to do. It's exciting being 22 and able to have my own, you know.”
It’s actually difficult to qualify for this program. Diamond Gold applied about five times and was denied. Gold said she thought, like some others might, that Habitat provides homes at no cost.
“Not knowing the blood, sweat and tears that you put into this,” she said. “Sometimes, you're just ready to throw in the towel. Like ‘I don't want to do it anymore.’ But you keep pushing, because this is a big accomplishment.”
Participants must put in 300 hours of sweat equity. This includes helping build their own home and the homes of other families. There’s also a lot of education, including financial counseling.
Homes have a zero-percent interest mortgage with a build cost of about $160,000.
State Director for Habitat for Humanity Gina Leckron said anecdotally, Habitat homes can elevate neighborhoods.
“Volunteers will notice other homeowners in the community start fixing up their house, we actually inspire people to beautify neighborhoods, we also find an increase in property values.”
Both Gold and Hailey plan to be good neighbors. Gold already knows the names of everyone nearby.
“I'm looking forward to this home being more of a place of peace. Our safe haven for sure. I'm looking forward to it being off forever home. Me and my kids, we have been through so much. We have overcame so much just with moving from home to home apartment to apartment like high electricity bills, high water bills.”
Her home dedication was in November.
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