Habitat for Humanity projects give families places to call their own
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Katie Buroker fixes a healthy dinner for her children, from left, Zander Coy, 2, Corbin Coy, 5 and Tyler Buroker, 11, at their Beloit Habitat for Humanity home on Tuesday.
When all Katie Buroker could find to rent was a two-bedroom apartment, she was forced to share a bedroom with her two youngest sons. She wanted her oldest son to have a room of his own.
“He needed his space more than I did,” said the single mother of three.
But since Thanksgiving, Buroker hasn’t had to share a bedroom with anyone. That’s when she became the proud owner of a Rock County Habitat for Humanity home in Beloit.
“This is my place,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about what the landlord or heat bills will be like. We’re comfortable and it’s a big relief knowing I don’t have to move again.’’
Buroker’s home was one of 46 built by the more than 66,800 volunteers hours since the local Habitat affiliate organized 20 years ago.
Compared to the other 41 Habitat affiliates in Wisconsin, Rock County has a very good track record, said Dave Thomas, executive director.
“The majority of them do not build one house a year,” he said.
But that’s not the vision of local founding Habitat members. The group strives to construct one home annually, Thomas said.
“Over the course of those first few years, they were building one house a year,” he said. “Sometimes they’d start two and it would carry into the next year.” That number increased dramatically about five years ago “when board members decided they were not going to eliminate substandard housing in the county one house at a time,” Thomas said.
A strategic plan to build more homes was created. The first was to build three, then five, then seven houses in each of the following three years. That resulted in more volunteers and donations, and things snowballed from there, Thomas said.
“We were doing very well until the downturn in the economy last year,” he said. “This is the first time in three years no build is going on in the winter.”
Local Habitat leaders are in the process of forming a new five-year plan. The last build was finished Dec. 11, and the next starts April 15. Habitat owns three vacant lots on Cherry Street and will build on at least one of those this year, Thomas said.
That’s good news for families who lack safe and affordable housing. Statistics show children in bad housing have a greater chance of suffering mental health problems and behavioral issues, Thomas said.
Buroker agreed there is less chaos, more organization, and that her boys are happier in their Habitat house.
“It was hard to stay out of each other’s hair in the apartment because everything was so cramped,” she said. “We had a smaller living space and the layout wasn’t open. It means so much to have the space and a place to call our own.”
Buroker also said the Habitat house is more comfortable than the rental unit, the mortgage payment is less and utility bills are cheaper because everything is new and more energy efficient.
“I actually have a place to go instead of being overrun by toys and kids,” she said. “It’s more of a relaxing atmosphere. It’s so nice to walk in and have everything clean and neat plus it’s mine.”
Jan 25, 2010 at 12:31 p.m.
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Habitat for Humanity is not supported by tax dollars, so once again, Hank, do you have a relevant point?
Jan 25, 2010 at 3:22 a.m.
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Hank - right on! Well said.
Jan 24, 2010 at 4:13 p.m.
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Some must have misread my comments. I think the Habitat program is great. If the right wing comment got some undies in a bunch....if the shoe fits.
Jan 24, 2010 at 2:22 p.m.
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Great story--and best of luck to you Katie. I'm a huge fan of this program as well. As for the comment by NV--get a life!
Jan 24, 2010 at 1:07 p.m.
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OkieFed says this: "I don't get the negative comments here. If someone feels better about themselves by 'working' on a cheaply made, throw-together house for someone, more power to them."
Have you ever volunteered with Habitat? Do you know what resources they use? As a person who has volunteered with many local affiliates and has gone on many trips with Habitat to build homes WITH the homeowners, the homes are built BETTER than ones that local builders have built. It's the concept of building with the homeowners as if you are building it for yourself or a loved one.
I would strongly recommend anyone that has a negative outlook on Habitat to visit the Rock County Habitat, some homeowners, a construction site, and visit Habitat for Humanity International. The standards set by the organization are extremely high. We don't settle for a building a 2nd rate house. This is someone's home!
If you are interested, and are too afraid to go visit, let me know, I am more than willing to hold your hand as you go to visit and get educated on something you apparently have no clue about.
Jan 24, 2010 at 12:47 p.m.
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We should all forgive NVgrf's rather obtuse comments. He's suffering emaciation from all that nausea and retching he's been doing since Tuesday. By the way things are going politically, he'll need a large supply of barf bags come November, and possibly a stay in an NV ICU.
Jan 24, 2010 at 12:37 p.m.
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These housing units built by Habitat for Humanity are not free giveaways. Even though the new owners contribute time and labor in the construction of their own homes, they must also put up a down payment and they get a mortgage from Habitat with monthly payments as well. All of this is funded privately, with no risk to the government or to the banking system, with no profit taken. Mortgage payments made by Habitat owners are used to build more Habitats.
This is how helping the poor works best. No government handouts that are quickly transformed into entitlements. No taxes confiscated from the unwilling to finance some politician's idea of social justice. Just people willingly helping people who need it in the spirit of Christ who willingly gives us so much just because we need it.
Jan 24, 2010 at 11:42 a.m.
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A few people make comments against the program and NVgrf assumes they are "right wing". LOL!
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Personally, I think it's a great program that gives an opportunity likely not otherwise feasible. Guess what NVgrf, I'm a conservative! How about that!
Jan 24, 2010 at 11:21 a.m.
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MsKari, once a Habitat family moves into their house, they own it. Why can they not move family members into a house they own? (But Habitat homes are by design small and sparse, not McMansions.) Obviously if the owners have adverse events like loss of job or medical expenses, like anyone else, they can become unable to make the payments. But Habitat families must have some source of income to participate in the first place. The foreclosure rate of Habitat homes is very low -- about 2% before the recession. Probably higher now along with every other class of housing, because ten years' worth of job growth has vanished. Habitat certainly can't control the economy, and some people eventually losing their Habitat houses does not mean the program is a failure.
Jan 24, 2010 at 10:52 a.m.
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Instead of making assumptions and looking like a fool, how about you look at facts?
http://www.habitat.org/how/factsheet.asp...
http://www.habitat.org/how/myths.aspx
Jan 24, 2010 at 10:21 a.m.
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No matter what good things people try to do for others, such as this great program, the right wing gang will have negative things to say. They stand for everything America has never stood for and hopefully never will. To put it bluntly, they make me puke.
Jan 24, 2010 at 10:07 a.m.
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MsKari asks: How many of these homes are foreclosed on in 2 years or less because the people in them can't afford them?
I don’t know, why don’t YOU tell US? Since you seem to have an intimate knowledge of multiple Habitat owners and their financial hardships, why don’t you tell us how many Habitat houses have been built and how many have gone into foreclosure? Surely you’re not just talking about one bad situation that you have seen? Your answer indicated that you’ve seen this a LOT! (You mention the plural “women”.) Really? Really?? Or are you just speculating so that you can see your comments on this page? I see the need for opposing viewpoints, but when it comes across as pure conjecture or “under-the-hairdryer” gossip without facts, this kind of reply gets annoying.
Jan 24, 2010 at 9:46 a.m.
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How many of these homes are foreclosed on in 2 years or less because the people in them can't afford them. They are in the situation they are in because they have no money, most of the time through no fault of thier own, but non the less they have no money. I've seen women with children qualify for this program and before you know it she has moved in boyfriend, mom, cousins and then we have lots of people living in this home and nobody working or paying anything and before you know it the house is in foreclosure and all torn up..These programs are fine and there is a need for them but get real about it..
Jan 24, 2010 at 7:56 a.m.
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How about an Ice Rink for Humanity?
Jan 24, 2010 at 7:41 a.m.
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Why are you blaming Obama for something Bush started marge123?
It's getting a little old.
Be happy for someone who is trying to make a better life for her family, not wallowing in self pity.
Jan 24, 2010 at 2 a.m.
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marge123: You should consider joining Habitat volunteers on their next project. It would open your eyes to reality and make for a more positive outlook on life.
Jan 24, 2010 at 12:26 a.m.
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Habitat is worldwide. Millard and Linda Fuller also started The Fuller Center for Housing about 5 years ago. I'm wondering if we couldn't get a Fuller Center partnership in Rock County to work with Habitat.
Jan 23, 2010 at 9:43 p.m.
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Great program, great story. I hope she continues to do well!
Jan 23, 2010 at 9:37 p.m.
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Habitat is NOT a "give-me" housing program. The homeowners have got to work hard for their homes before they break ground...
Habitat has been around for 34 years... far longer that Obama's politics. So, it's not his fault.
Jan 23, 2010 at 9:16 p.m.
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Great organization and fun to work with, very rewarding.
Jan 23, 2010 at 6:49 p.m.
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"More matter with less art," please!
History, costs, selection process, financing, long-term maintenance and upkeep, real estate taxes--the stats and FACTS behind this nice but rather short anecdotal story.
Jan 23, 2010 at 5:52 p.m.
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the ones that had to rent are now the home owners(give me ) and the ones that were homeowners are foreclosed on (taxpayers for many years) go obama (sarcasm)
Jan 23, 2010 at 4:48 p.m.
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Congratulation's on your new home. That's great.
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