Habitat for Humanity builds two new homes in St. Germain, Sayner

Habitat for Humanity Northwoods Wisconsin is continuing to serve communities in Vilas and Oneida counties by building a house in St. Germain, and finalizing plans to build another home near Sayner.

Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Dave Havel spoke about the projects at a meeting held by the St. Germain PrimeTimers last Wednesday afternoon in the St. Germain Community Center.

The organization is currently building a house on Hemlock Lane, just off Highway 70 in St. Germain, with a family already set to purchase the house upon its completion.

“We believe that everyone deserves a place to live and call home,” said Havel. “It’s been a joy to have been able to help (the family) get to this point.”

The build of these homes is simple, according to Havel, being a basic square, three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath structure built upon a concrete slab. He explained that whenever they build a home, they will finance homes for as low as “0% for 30 years,” a move that is a good deal for homebuyers, but can mean a loss of funds for Habitat for Humanity, making each house more expensive to build than the last. Havel said that the current build in St. Germain cost Habitat around $180,000.

Havel added that in order for a family to qualify for a Habitat for Humanity home, they must fit into the following criteria:

They must be able to afford mortgage payments on the home.

They must “have a need” for a home, such as if their current living situation is unsafe or inadequate.

The family needs to contribute to the construction project as much as possible, whether it be through landscaping or painting, by putting in a certain amount of hours of “sweat equity,” as it’s called by Habitat.

“It helps turn this into a family community build,” explained Havel.

While Habitat for Humanity hopes to continue servicing local families in need of a new home, Havel said that recent cuts in federal funding to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in which Habitat for Humanity funds their builds through the agency’s direct loan program, has proven itself to be “a big hurdle,” with there even being talks of eliminating the loan program.

“We hope that doesn’t happen, but that is just reality right now,” Havel said. “We’re always willing to help a family, it’s what we do.”

However, despite this, Havel said that Habitat will continue to build homes in the area, with their next home build set to start in Sayner, upon two lots that were donated to the organization.

“We are always looking for donations; we’re always looking for volunteers,” said Havel. “We rely on volunteers — you don’t need to be skilled to help out.”

Habitat for Humanity Northwoods Wisconsin is based in Rhinelander at 908 Lincoln St., and services Vilas and Oneida counties. Most of their workforce consists of volunteer help, and they’re always looking for donations in the form of money, gently-used furniture, and volunteering. All donations are tax-deductible.

Those interested in donating, volunteering, or wanting to learn more about Habitat for Humanity can visit their website at habitatnorthwoods.org, call (715) 420-2301 or email restore@habitatnorthwoods.org.

The Prime Timers
The St. Germain PrimeTimers are a group of those who are actively aging, and meet at 1:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month in the St. Germain Community Center on the corner of Highways 70 and 155.
Their meetings typically have a short program with a special speaker, a short business meeting, and socializing with snacks and coffee.
Those interested in learning more about the PrimeTimers can do so by mailing them at:
St. Germain PrimeTimers
P.O. Box 281
St. Germain, WI 54558.