By John Nolan
Imagine the possibility of moving into a new house just in time for the holidays. That could happen for Jordan Lounds, the prospective owner of a newly completed Habitat for Humanity house constructed by volunteers from St. Barnabas and sister churches from the Eastside Coalition of Churches.
As Habitat requires, Ms. Lounds helped the volunteers to build the house. Habitat, the Eastside churches, and Ohio National Financial Services, the corporate sponsor for the house, combined to dedicate it at a ceremony on November 1.
The one-story house is the first of six that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati plans to build in the village of Lincoln Heights, near Interstate 75.
Ed Lee, Habitat Cincinnati's president and chief executive officer (and a former St. Barnabas senior warden), and Lincoln Heights Mayor Ruby Kinsey-Mumphrey said the home-building effort resulted from Lincoln Heights' invitation for Habitat to build homes there. It is a return for Habitat, which had built other houses in the village years ago before moving on to work in other communities.
Ms. Lounds and Habitat are working to schedule a closing soon, so that she can take possession of the house. In accordance with Habitat's requirements, she has put in 250 hours of "sweat equity" work on the house, to qualify as a down payment on the no-interest mortgage loan she is to receive in order to finance the dwelling.
It is a positive development for both Ms. Lounds and Lincoln Heights. She is studying at the University of Cincinnati to become a registered nurse, and she will move into the house with her 9-year-old daughter. Lincoln Heights will benefit because her house and the five others that Habitat plans to build nearby are rejuvenating the Jackson Street neighborhood and will bring in new homeowner families.
Habitat's key goals include building affordable housing for families and helping to rejuvenate the communities where it builds.
Thanks for your support of Habitat's work. For more information about the non-denominational Christian housing ministry, go to its website at habitatcincinnati.org.
WCPO also covered the dedication in their article "New home dedicated to Lincoln Heights family is first in community since 2009."