Habitat for Humanity - Rehabs

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

From today's Free Press:

In 2006, seven of 52 Habitat homes in Michigan were rehabs. The organization rehabbed 104 of its 221 homes during the first three months of this year, and there are dozens more projects to be completed, Habitat officials said.
That's really not "where we were headed, but that's where the market's pushed us," Macomb Habitat for Humanity program director Karan Bates-Gasior said. "As a nonprofit, we go where the funding's at."

http://www.freep.com/article/2010081...to-rehab-homes

Personally, having a bias towards rehabbing and reusing an existing structure over building new, I see this as very positive. I wish they could do more rehab in Detroit.

[canuck]

137% right! Rehab even the low cost housing if the buildings are well-built and in good-enough shape.Please no more building with vinyl. On the other hand vinyl provides a very aesthetic material for arsonists to shape into valance-like curtains over burnt aspenite.

[fryar]

LOL, Canuck. I share your bias, DetroiterontheWestCoast.

[papillonaquatique]

Habitat For Humanity does great work and I am glad to hear that they are active in restoring buildings instead of building new ones.

[professorscott]

I have worked on many, many, many Habitat houses over the years and I can explain their build-new bias very quickly:

1. They use volunteers to do most of the work, and most of the volunteers have no formal training in homebuilding and have to be schooled on the spot.
2. It's much more complex to rehab a run-down house than to build a new house.

Having said that, though, I agree with everyone else so far on this thread; it's nice to see a mix of new and rehabbed.

[canuck]

Yes professor, the bias is something we can live with, I am very happy about the work habitat people like you have done over the years. You certainly make a big difference in people's lives.

Viva Jimmy Carter and yourself who understand that intellectual pursuits and craft are both equally important. It is nice to see them allied or alloyed in one individual.

[fryar]

Kudos to Habitat for rehabbing existing housing stock!

This sounds like an interesting opportunity for some DIY-type folks to learn-by-doing so they will have a better understanding of rehabbing in preparation for their purchase of a gorgeous brick home in Detroit for the cost of a used car. Even if that kind of thing can't be done 100% by oneself, it helps to have developed an eye for what to look for, etc.

[papillonaquatique]

Kudos to Habitat for rehabbing existing housing stock!

This sounds like an interesting opportunity for some DIY-type folks to learn-by-doing so they will have a better understanding of rehabbing in preparation for their purchase of a gorgeous brick home in Detroit for the cost of a used car. Even if that kind of thing can't be done 100% by oneself, it helps to have developed an eye for what to look for, etc.

The young single adults group from my church participated in Habitat to build a new home for a family whos home had burned down. It is not as easy as it looks but it was fun and well worth the day spent. If anyone here is thinking about volunteering just go ahead and do it. It was a learning experience and a great chance to learn new skills.

[rb336]

I know Habitat is rehabbing a number of houses in Pontiac as well.