FELLSMERE — Habitat for Humanity Staff Writer Board Member Isabel Marron hopes to give some Fellsmere families the chance to own the home of their dreams.
With only one home built this year in the Fellsmere Grace Meadows community, Habitat is seeking five or even six more clients to get in the program and help them meet their goal of seven homes for seven families.
As an employee of the Fellsmere Oculina Bank branch, Marron is in a unique position to sit and talk with residents, learn about their financial and living situations and lead them to Habitat for Humanity.
A Fellsmere resident, Marron doesn’t come to the community as an outsider, but as someone who truly understands.
Owning a home is personal for Marron, who grew up in a family of eight in a 2-bedroom apartment.
“I wish my family had had this opportunity,” she said.
Her parents worked as harvesters and struggled to make ends meet. Marron said her family’s money could have gone farther if they’d had a Habitat home, paying less on the monthly mortgage than they paid on the monthly rent.
“It would’ve been heaven to have my own room,” she said.
To get potential families into Grace Meadows, Marron spends much of her time outside of work at community events, like last week’s Fellsmere Day, telling people about the program.
“They open up to me,” Marron said of the people she speaks to.
Indian River Habitat for Humanity President and CEO Andy Bowler said his leadership had expected to have several potential homeowners lined up for the neighborhood by now, but “for some reason, this year we’re a bit behind,” he said.
Each year, Habitat tries to complete seven homes in the community – so far, there is just one homeowner lined up for Grace Meadows.
Bowler hopes to get five or six more signed up with Marron is tackling the issue, working to drum up interest in Grace Meadows.
“I would like to see all these families that are renting get out of the pattern of renting,” Marron said, explaining that a Habitat mortgage is less than the average apartment’s rent, which means more money kept in the homeowner’s pocket.
A monthly Habitat mortgage for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home is $450, which includes taxes and insurance, plus a small homeowners association fee. The average apartment’s monthly rent in Indian River County is approximately $800, according to Bowler.
“They think it’s something they’re never going to afford,” Marron said of the residents’ American Dream of owning their own home.
Habitat for Humanity isn’t a handout, though, it’s a hand up.
“It’s something you work for,” Marron said.
Those who qualify for a Habitat home – regardless of which of the five communities they plan to move into – must put in sweat equity. They must work at least 300 hours for Habitat – 60 percent usually put into building someone else’s Habitat home.
“It’s a way to weed out” candidates who might have thought they could get a home for nothing, Bowler said. If the candidate puts in 180 hours in the heat – “You’re in it for the long haul.”
“A lot of it is word-of-mouth,” Bowler said of introducing people to Habitat for Humanity, though the organization is also using the radio and mailers to help.
Grace Meadows is one of five Habitat for Humanity neighborhoods in Indian River County.
Being built in two phases, Grace Meadows has 34 homes in the first phase and eight currently done in the second phase. When complete, there will be 68 homes in the Fellsmere community.
There are two Habitat neighborhoods in Gifford, Grace Pines with 28 homes and Grace Grove with 81.
There are two others in the Oslo area, south of Vero Beach, including Grace Woods and Grace Woods West, with 36 and 19 homes, respectively.
Bowler said the communities are now just a piece of the housing puzzle Habitat for Humanity is trying to put together. Along with building in their planned neighborhoods, Habitat is diversifying – buying foreclosed single-family homes to rehabilitate and renovate, as well as helping to fix up owner-occupied homes that would otherwise fall into ruin.
“The need is so great,” Bowler said for better housing for Indian River County’s low-income and senior families. He explained that the need can’t always be met by building new homes, especially in the current economy.
Habitat has repaired approximately 30 homes for seniors and the infirm, according to Bowler – homes that the longtime homeowners might have had to vacate.
“It’s starting to fall around their ears,” he said of the older homes.
To qualify for a Habitat home, potential homeowners must demonstrate a need for housing, the ability to pay their mortgage and the willingness to partner with Habitat.
They must also fall within the organization’s income guidelines based on the number of people in the household.
A family of four qualifies if the annual household income is less than $45,200.
Habitat for Humanity has been operating in Indian River County for 22 years and has built more than 300 homes.
Those who are interested in finding out if they qualify are encouraged to visit Habitat for Humanity’s office in Vero Beach for a brief orientation or visit the organization’s web site, www.IRCHabitat.org.
The office is located behind the Habitat Home Center ReStore, 4568 N. US 1. They also can call Megan Simon, the family services associate, at (772) 562-9860 ext. 230 at the office.