Habitat for Humanity Partnership to Bring Affordable Housing to Shenorock, New York

Shenorock, New York -- When you think of Habitat for Humanity, the image of Jimmy Carter pounding out nails in some down trodden southern community usually comes to mind. But the dream of home ownership can be just as elusive to families living right here in our communities.

"Now, where you have to have put 20 to 30% down on a house," says Gary Forbes from Forbes Insurance in Katonah, New York. "That's taking away a lot of opportunities for families."

But for his part, in Shenorock, New York's first affiliation with Habitat for Humanity, that will at least change for one local family in the near future.

Calling their effort "First Build," he says the existing structure that they have taken over to renovate at 66 Forest Lane in Shenorock gives rise to an image that is commonly associated with Habitat - even for this affluent hamlet in the town of Somers, New York. "It was as if you looked up Habitat in the dictionary - this house was pictured there because it's a dilapidated house in a small forested area at the end of a cul-de-sac," he says.

Foreclosed, in the wake of the current economy, the town appraised it at an asking price of $45,000, which Westchester Habitat has fronted First Build the money. That leaves ample opportunity, apart from the build, for people to apply their own varied talents to the effort. For instance, last week, he says, a musician with no claim to handy work or hammer-hitting skills came in, wanting to make a dent in the project. "I said," 'well, put on your thinking cap - come up with something,'" he says her told her.

She's now looking into gathering local musicians for a fundraising jam in the near future, he says. To be honest, he says,we really need help in the ancillary stuff because that's the thing that gets the awareness out."

It also gives the younger kids the chance to be involved, and just as importantly, giving them an understanding of a world outside their own small concerns. "It's always nice to get kids at a younger age involved in community service because they see it's not a me-me world but a we're all in this together world," he says.

Pushing the paper, so to speak, in raising First Build's profile, it also enables the effort to accumulate a force of skilled labor. Doing pretty well in that regard, the weekend work force looks to be shaping up quite nicely once the permits all clear in the coming weeks. Nonetheless, nothing can be certain, while weekday work is a little hard to find but he's glad to have the Westchester Habitat's infrastructure in place when the inevitable rough spots are reached. "They kind of come right behind you and hold you up and get you through," he says.

As is, though, First Build has got any future excess in manpower covered with a little creative thinking of their own. Their "Brush with Kindness" program will take on smaller projects and renovations in the area that will keep the volunteers busy.

Ultimately, acceptance of ownership to the home in Shenorock requires a salary between 50 and $80,000 a year, which should allow a family to keep up with mortgage payments and property tax, he says. Otherwise, Habitat requires something called, "Sweat for Equity."

A family must donate 500 hours of work to the project or other builds in the area. The idea being that once they get the volunteering bug, he says, there's so many nice spin offs that it's easy for people to be involved in for a long period of time.

In the end, First Build believes that keeping it in the family inspires the best sense of community. Requiring, Somers residence, municipal employment, emergency worker status or other community connections, he says, "Volunteers seem to get a little bit more out of it when they think it's somebody in their own town." And that should provide a momentum that keeps Habitat moving beyond the first build.