Photos courtesy Justin Treptow and Habitat Archuleta staff
Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County closed on 2022 builds in February with both families living in their new homes. Pictured is the owner of Habitat Home No. 29, Jennifer, and her children. Applications are now being accepted for 2023 builds.
By Leah Ballard | Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County
The Administrative Staff at Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County has been busy these winter months, while our jobsite volunteers finally found a chance to put their feet up by the fire.
We closed on our 2022 builds in February, and both families have moved in and are thrilled to finally be living in their own home.
Amber said the construction delay just made it that much sweeter when the home was finally her own.
In addition to purchasing the home, the homeowners also contributed more than 250 hours to the construction and support in the homebuilding process. Total volunteer hours on North Pagosa Boulevard in 2022 were over 3,400 hours from locals and traveling volunteers (Care-A-Vanners) — a contribution we’re hoping this community can match in 2023.
Speaking of 2023, our upcoming build season is already underway. Administrative preparation and permit applications start about 12 weeks prior to groundbreaking. We’re building three homes in 2023, and the locations are almost set in stone — pun intended.
In the coming weeks, administrative staff will be seen at various public meetings and the offices of local contractors. This is when we request permits, fee waivers for workforce housing, grant funding and build a subcontractor calendar for the coming season. We’ll also start sending out email updates to volunteers. If you would like to be added to our list, contact Debbie at office@HabitatArchuleta.org.
The three homes that we are building in 2023 range from 1,180 square feet to 1,404 square feet and are located in the Chris Mountain II and Trails area. These homes are wood-framed modulars instead of steel framed — a relief to the volunteers who participated in siding the 2022 homes.
In addition to the organizational work the administrative staff does to support our build team, we are now accepting applications for our 2023 builds. If you know of anyone living and working in Archuleta County who is looking for affordable homeownership, please spread the word. We can’t accomplish any of the work we do without families to partner with.
Last year we received 30 complete applications for our 2023 builds. Ten of those applicants qualified to move to the next step, and three of those families were selected to partner with Habitat Archuleta to build their own home alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. The mortgage process for those three families has begun and they will be signing purchase contracts later this summer. As always, we hope to have our partner families in their new homes for Thanksgiving.
