Another Move-In Day at North Middle Springs Estates

North Middle Springs Estates in Shippensburg, PA recently welcomed five new families, and six more families will be moving in soon. One more group of six families is being put together right now, which will begin construction this summer. Once that last group of homes is completed, a total of 39 Self-Help Homeownership Program homes will have been constructed in this neighborhood. Just a short distance from Shippensburg University, North Middle Springs Estates is ideally located close to a thriving downtown, recreational opportunities, and most importantly – jobs. Most of the participants in the program work within a few miles of their new homes.

Steve Wivell, one of two Construction Supervisors for Interfaith Housing Alliance’s Self-Help Homeownership Program, said, “Move-in Day is so rewarding. These folks have worked so hard, all winter long, and they’ve done such a great job. It’s amazing considering the fact that most of them didn’t know anything about construction when they started.”

IHA’s Self-Help Homeownership Program allows families and individuals to purchase their homes at cost, and, in lieu of a down payment, they provide 65% of the labor required to build their homes (a significant contribution known as “sweat equity”). Generally, it takes about nine months to build the 3-bedroom 2.5 bath single family homes, which is considerably shorter than the time it would take to save for a down payment.

Latia Reed, a soon-to-be new homeowner, can hardly wait until her group of homes is completed in June. Tia has put in many hours of hard work, but her dream will soon become true. She describes her experience with passion, “It has taken me a year to achieve my goal of becoming debt free, but my persistence led me to be a part of this amazing program. My son is my inspiration and strength, and he is the reason why I wanted to accomplish this goal. I want the absolute best for him and it starts with stability – the key to a great start in a child’s life. The work load is a lot and can be overwhelming but something worth having never comes easy. Interfaith Housing’s program allows families the opportunity to make owning a home come true, but it is up to you to make it your reality. This is one of the greatest experiences of my life, and my family and I will never forget such a blessing.”

IHA began their first Self-Help community of 20 homes in 1996 in a neighborhood named Mountain View Homes located in Brunswick, MD. To date, IHA has supervised the new construction of well over 200 homes throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Anyone interested in participating in the Self-Help Homeownership Program should call Linda Warren at 301-662-4225 x1307 or 717-414-5042. In addition to the six openings for the next group of families in Shippensburg, Linda is accepting applications for 18 homes through the Self-Help Program at Nottingham Meadows, in the Greencastle/State Line area and 14 homes being built in partnership with Dan Ryan Builders in the Rolling Hills subdivision, near Greencastle, PA.

Interfaith Housing Alliance is the region’s leading nonprofit affordable housing developer. IHA strengthens communities by providing affordable housing opportunities and supportive services to improve the quality of life and economic stability for seniors, working families and individuals. Programs greatly depend on donations from the faith community, businesses, foundations, and individuals.