MERRITTON MATTERS

Habitat for Humanity
For the first time in nearly a decade a Habitat for Humanity home building project is occurring in St. Catharines. The land has been secured and the
site is in our community. The property on Merritt St. by Birch Lane, adjacent to the newly constructed bridge on the site of the former Ricci’s Tavern,
has been purchased for the home. A family from St. Catharines will be purchasing the home under the unique Habitat for Humanity Niagara home
ownership program. Every build requires a funding champion. MCG has approved a motion to be the fundraising champions for the new Habitat for
Humanity Build in Merritton. The Merritton Community Group is actively looking for ways to support this project which requires $80,000 to get off
the ground, of which $30,000 has already been committed, leaving $50,000 to be raised by September.
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity Niagara, we asked Cathy Pelletier to write an article on the organization.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OPENS DOORS IN NIAGARA
by Cathy Pelletier
Habitat for Humanity Niagara is a non-profit, faith-based community
organization working toward a world in which everyone has a safe and
decent place to live. By mobilizing volunteers and community partners,
HFHN builds affordable housing and promotes home ownership as a means
to breaking the cycle of poverty Part of that commitment involves paying
back some of the “sweat equity” invested into their home, by donating 500
hours (per family) of labour with another Habitat for Humanity initiative
or in their community. The selected family must practice pride of home
ownership and pass that pride on to their children in order to break the
cycle of poverty.
Using donated land and municipal co-operation, HFHN can build
single-family homes for about $65,000. Cash donations are leveraged more
than twice with gift-in-kind, gift-in-service and special rate contracts.
HFHN houses are then purchased at fair market value with no down
payment and no-interest mortgages. Homeowners’ payments are set at
less than 25 percent of gross income for principal and property tax, and
payments are geared to income.
Each time HFHN builds a house, a ripple effect reaches out into the
entire community. Families become less reliant on social services and
food banks, student and apprentice builders become skilled trades workers
within their community, the local economy prospers, volunteers become
engaged, and the entire community feels fulfilled while working together to
effect positive change in such a tangible, meaningful way.
MERRITTON MATTERS I