Local Volunteers Help Build Low-Income Homes
by Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Volunteers from the General Building Contractors Association partnered with Habitat For Humanity for the first-ever GBCA Build Day.
A work day was held on Friday on North 16th Street for future Habitat for Humanity homeowners.
"This is Diamond Park, it's 21 units of energy-efficient, affordable homes for low-income homeowners who are in our program," said Carrie Rathmann, director of strategic partnerships, "Everyone deserves to have a place to call home and we know that we are building strength, stability, and self-reliance through housing by keeping it affordable."
Costs are kept low because the land is donated by the city, and most of the labor is done by volunteers, allowing homeowners to pay no-interest loans for as little as $450/month.
"Mortgages are never more than 30% of someone's income. That means mortgage, tax, and insurance, because that's what is deemed affordable," said Rathmann.
Rathmann says 12 of these homes will be complete by the end of the year.