A $500,000 Community Development Block Grant will cover part of the project’s over $1.5 million estimated cost. PHOTO: Townhalls Streams
By Renée Morin
Five York County families will have the opportunity to own their own homes thanks to Habitat for Humanity York County. The nonprofit plans to construct five new single-family homes on Sanford’s Island Avenue by the end of 2027. Habitat for Humanity partnered with Sanford to secure a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from the state. “We’re just absolutely thrilled that the city is partnering with us,” said Nancy Lowenberg, Director of Development and Community Relations for Habitat for Humanity York County. “This project’s budget is over $1.5 million, so it is pretty safe to say without this gift Habitat for Humanity would probably not be able to build these homes.”
Habitat for Humanity will finalize the first few applicant families soon, and applications for the last two houses will be open from September 1 to October 31, according to Lowenberg. Information on applying will be available at the Goodall Library and the Habitat for Humanity York County website.
The nonprofit is looking for families who have an income of 80% of the median income, Lowenberg said. In addition to prospective homeowners contributing volunteer hours to building Habitat for Humanity projects, homeowners will make mortgage payments based on 29-30% of their household’s gross monthly income. “I think [the project is] important,” said Lowenberg, “because this is really taking a family that probably wouldn’t qualify for any home and taking them out of a rental status and putting them into an equity status, a homeownership status.”
This will be the largest project in Habitat for Humanity York County’s history and will raise the number of houses built by the nonprofit in Sanford to 13 in recent years, said Lowenberg. If it goes according to plan and all funding is approved, Habitat for Humanity hopes to start the project in mid-August, and to break ground in early fall. The nonprofit aims to have the pre-built frames of the first two houses put on their finished basements and roofed by snowfall, Lowenberg said. She expects construction on the five houses to continue through December 2027, before the homes are finally purchased by the applicants.
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