Habitat’s Palouse house advances to winter stage

The latest Habitat for Humanity project in Palouse is already looking like a house that will eventually be a home. The new three-bedroom, single story house in Palouse now has siding, windows and doors and could be completed by March, said Habitat president Brent Bradberry.

“The foundation is in, the walls are in, the windows are in, the doors are in,” Bradberry said.

The house will go to Krista Given and her two young children. Given is currently living in an aging trailer in Albion. They were chosen from more than 100 applicants to the Palouse chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

To qualify, a family must demonstrate they fall between the 30 to 60 percent of the medium income for a Whitman County family of their size.

Groups of volunteers have come from WSU, UI and the city of Palouse to help build the house.

Last Saturday, a group of 15 or 16 women came out for Women’s Build Day and finished putting on the siding. Volunteers also come out on a weekly basis to help.

Bradberry said they can now work inside of the home, just in time to escape winter weather.

“We’ll be working on mostly the interior from now on,” he said. “At least we can work in about any weather condition now. We’ll be spending the next couple of winter months doing all of the fancy work inside.”

The first few shovels full of dirt for the home were turned in late August. The house is located at 525 Union Street in Palouse.

Habitat for Humanity relies on public donations and fundraising to fuel the construction for the home.

The Palouse site is large enough for two houses and a second Habitat for Humanity house will be built later.

After the project in Palouse is finished, Habitat plans on building a house in Uniontown.

Given is required to put in 200 hours of “sweat equity” on the project which involves working on the house or activities relating to its construction.

Like any recipient of a Habitat house, she’ll be taking out a 20-year mortgage but the payments will not require interest.

Bradberry estimated the cost will be about $75,000.