Habitat For Humanity Breaks Ground on Habitat House in Alpena
Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Michigan has broken ground on a new habitat house on West Washington Street in Alpena.
It’s for an Alpena mother and her four children on the corner of West Washington and Lewis Street. The woman did not have the credit a year and a half ago when she applied for the habitat house, but Habitat for Humanity worked with the woman and got her pre-qualified for it.
It’s a one and a half story house with three bedrooms and two full baths. Habitat for Humanity told people in the neighborhood what they were doing beforehand and what they could expect. They are building the house to look like it was made in 1917 to fit in with the neighborhood.
“It’s educational, and we want everyone to know that we don’t just plunk down a house and throw a family in there, and nothing is free,” said Ted Fines, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Michigan. “This adult individual has spent a tremendous amount of hours working here before we even broke ground.”
The new house is an opportunity to expand on affordable housing in an area that has needed it for some time.
“This is part of the housing continuum that we want to offer to our community and our community members, and we’re making a big impact,” said Fines. “It’s taken a long time and COVID didn’t help, but now we’re out of that and we’re moving ahead.”
Habitat for Humanity is hoping to have the house on site in the middle of July.
