CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY         

  ABOUT US

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HFH --THE BEGINNING--

Champlain Valley Habitat for Humanity  was started by a group of interested people in the Plattsburgh and Peru area.  After several organizational meetings and with the help of the media, we were able to stir up enough interest to form a chapter here in Clinton county.

To become an affiliate, it was necessary to involve the communities of Clinton county which was accomplished by speaking at Churches, Village and City board meetings, soliciting the help of businesses such as Sams, Wal-Mart, Sears, Wyeth  and many others.
Some of these establishments offered  us space to promote our efforts, such as nail sales and raffles.  Through these  initial efforts we now have active partners from Keeseville all the way up to Champlain.

To become a registered Affiliate it was necessary to meet the requirements set forth by Habitat For Humanity International.   HFHI required proof  that a need existed for an Affiliate in this area  and there was enough energy to sustain it.
This was accomplished by selecting  a board of sixteen partners, establishing committees such as  Family Selection, Family Support, Site Selection, Building and Finance.
We were fortunate to fill these requirements with qualified partners and greatly appreciate their ongoing support.

Our Affiliate Status was received in February 1999.

Champlain Valley Habitat For Humanity  (CVHFH) serves all of Clinton county with the exception of the town of Black Brook which is provided for by the Ausable Valley HFH. Both Essex and Franklin Counties have been affiliates for the past several years.

Where are we today?

During the past two and one-half years we have established our presence with fund drives, bowl-a-thons, a dinner theater and have affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce.  We send out mailings  to solicit funds, partners and in-kind donations.
We have built and sold our first and  second house and  now have 3 additional lots waiting for houses on the Wallace Hill Road in Plattsburgh.

Following the funding the steps for providing a house are as shown below:

1. Select a family
2. Select the size of home
3. Clear the building site
4. Help the family obtain their sweat equity requirements
5. Build the house
6. Close on the house

Family Selection
It is necessary to select the family first, so that the building committee knows the size of the house.  The style has been set by HFHI.  The number of bedrooms will depend on the family size.  With the first house all families who applied required a 3 bedroom home or greater,  however; the available lots will accommodate only a three bedroom home.

In selecting a family it is necessary to hold two public meetings,  which have to be advertised via the media and distributing pamphlets and applications throughout Clinton county, in stores, churches and other public places.
We have a non-manned phone located at the Collage which can be accessed at 564-home.  If a message is left on the voice mail some one will get back to the party within a few days.

During these meetings it is explained what HFH is all about and what is required of interested families.  Packets of information are distributed which includes an application that has a deadline for completion and return.

The application is used  to initially determine the family’s:
  Ability to repay the interest free mortgage
  House size
  The family's  interest in living within the selected site
  If the family is presently living in sub-standard housing.

Each applicant will be screened determine if  the minimum requirements are met. 
Those that pass the initial screening will require  credit checks, no different than any other person applying  for a mortgage.

The family selection is the responsibility of the Family Selection committee .

For the first home we received  22 applications.
An initial screening eliminated 6 due to one of the following:
  Financial problems
  Didn’t want to live at the site location
  Family required 4 or more bedrooms

After obtaining 16 credit checks seven had acceptable debt to income ratios.
The next step was to send qualified CVHFH Partners  in building construction, to visit each of the applicants homes to determine which family resided in the least favorable living conditions.

Reviewed conditions included:  

Next  the family support committee will begin working with the selected family in preparing them for their new home and to arrange for the sweat equity.

The building committee will be working to get the lot cleared and the home construction started with all the volunteers that so graciously donate their time and efforts.