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Officials representing East Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity and the city of North Branch had the enjoyable task last week of attending closing for property to be the site for a Habitat home project this summer, in North Branch.   

Habitat Board President Lewis Leasure and East Central Habitat Director Wayne Eller met at North Branch city hall with real estate closer Erin Wilkerson, who volunteered her time for the closing May 4.  The lot was being transferred (donated) to Habitat for Humanity from the city EDA.

Eller explained that the family selected to receive the dwelling, Eric and JoAnn Trudeau,  will be officially introduced at groundbreaking.   Brifely, Eric, who has served in the U.S. military has a 90 percent disability.  The selection process required a veteran applicant for this project.  The recipient family must be good fiscal stewards.  Eller said a completed credit background check was positive. They will not pay interest,  and Habitat as a faith-based organization, makes no profit during the house pay-off period. The family is asked to put 265 hours into their Habitat housing project and they must be exiting a substandard housing situation.  

Eller is in his 15th summer heading up the east central chapter, and he mentioned at the closing that he has strongly desired to do a house in North Branch for a long time.  The financials allowing for a Habitat home to happen  must align in a specific way.  Ownership needs to be based on a monthly obligation that’s affordable and often it takes years to find a residential lot with a clean title, city services, and one that’s not carrying heavy development costs.  

Eller added that the city of North Branch has been ideal to work with, providing the lot and approving other considerations to make this Habitat project happen.  

“The city is pouring blessings onto this” by connecting Habitat with corporate donors, skilled, enthusiastic volunteers and helping to pull it all together, said Eller.
 
Volunteers will be able to register to help at a “sign-up” event May 21-- which is also groundbreaking. The city website has a sign-up sheet you can download and mail in if you prefer.  See www.ci.north-branch.mn.us

The masonry, the foundation (one-story house and garage) the finish drywall, flooring and trim carpentry are all spoken for.    But there’s lots of openings for a number of other skilled and non-skilled help from the community.  

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