Habitat For Humanity's Latest: Town-Houses

GREENSBORO, NC - The patch of land at Spencer and Bingham streets represents not only the opportunity for working families to own a home but also a first for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro. New multifamily town houses, the first for the nonprofit, are to be raised from the site in the months to come.

"Twenty homes for 20 families is a wonderful opportunity for all of us," said Jim Dagenhart, chairman of the Habitat board of directors. He spoke during a "blessing of the build" ceremony Tuesday with the dirt already turned and idle construction equipment in the background.

The $1.5 million Arbor Court development will occupy the 400 block of Bingham Street, between Hassell and Spencer streets. It joins the other manicured lawns of the Eastside Park community across from the Willow Oaks neighborhood.

The investment in Eastside is part of a larger effort to clean up what was once a high-crime area. The new two-bedroom town houses are designed to give working families a chance at home ownership. Habitat has built 30 single-family houses in this area.

"If it hadn't been for a Habitat house, I'd still be renting," said Marie Stamey, president of the Eastside Park Neighborhood Association, who attended the ceremony. "They took a chance on me, and I'll be eternally grateful."

This latest Habitat community, where a dilapidated garden-apartment complex once stood, brought together a lot of old friends: Bank of America, Kavanagh Development and Westminster Presbyterian Church, to name a few.

It also brought in new money, including a $100,000 contribution from a program administered by Habitat International. Habitat had planned to renovate the units and convert them to small apartments. But during the planning and exploration process, the nonprofit found structural problems that made renovations impossible.

Another $300,000 needs to be raised to finish the project, but those who braved one of the hottest days of the year to attend the ceremony see the new houses as a godsend. "Habitat has been such a motivator in our neighborhood," said Debra Harris, a nearby Habitat homeowner.