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February 25, 2003
  Articles on this page: • Habitat rehabs communities one home at a time
Habitat rehabs communities one home at a time The Bostwick family of North Adams and the Mendonca family of Pittsfield may have nothing more in common than two other randomly chosen Berkshire families, but they both understand the meaning of "sweat equity." Over the course of several years, both families worked with the volunteer builders, plumbers, electricians, high school and college students, and many more who make up the separate Northern Berkshire and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity volunteer crews. The families pounded nails, assisted in wiring, and hauled debris, paying off their Habitat-required 500 hours in "sweat equity." When the process was done, both families had intimate insight into the homes they now reside in and call their own. They pay Habitat a monthly mortgage that is less than the monthly rent of their previous apartments and covers the mortgage, taxes and insurance. In about 20 years, they will own their homes free and clear, one of the most valuable financial assets a family can have. Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit all-volunteer organization founded in 1976 that works with families and communities to build or rehabilitate decent housing for homeownership. There are 150,000 Habitat homes around the world. It has an ecumenical Christian origin, and accepts volunteers and families of diverse races, religions and needs. Habitat has two local affiliates in the Berkshires -- Northern Berkshire in North Adams and Central Berkshire in Pittsfield. The Bostwicks Five years ago, Richard and Teresa Bostwick were living in an apartment on Glen Avenue in North Adams. "The apartment was sub-standard. We had problems with the neighbors -- there were drug raids, nasty stuff, disgusting things in the yard," said Richard. "It was hard to heat." The Bostwicks had their 8-year old son and a 17-year old niece living with them and needed more room. A friend had received a Habitat home so they decided to apply to the North Berkshire Habitat for one of their own. Two years went by with no word from the organization. "We thought they forgot about us. But then they called," said Richard. The organization had been working on another family's house. The Bostwicks qualified, and were chosen for a house on West Shaft Road. "Basically, when we found out that we were chosen, the house was a big hole in the ground," said Richard. Richard estimates that he put in more than 1,000 hours of his time into the house over the three years it took to complete. Teresa suffers from depression and back problems, so her husband did her sweat equity hours too. Richard and a friend sheet-rocked the house themselves. The Bostwicks have lived in the two-story Cape with three bedrooms, a bath and a half and a full basement since December of 2002. "It's small, but it’s nice" said Teresa. In 1998, the Bostwicks had moved back to Richard's native North Adams from Ohio, where Teresa is from, after her sister had died. "It was tough finding work," said Teresa. She is a stay-at-home mom and her husband is a home life support counselor for the physically and mentally challenged at Berkshire Family and Individual Resources Inc. Things are a lot better for the Bostwicks now that they are homeowners. The house is an Energy Star home and the heating bills aren't as high, said Teresa. The peace and quiet alone is worth it, she said. Plus, their son has kids to play with, a nice yard and room for a dog and two cats. "It's ours. Whatever we do to it, its ours," said Richard. Richard says that most people who buy homes don't know the skills he’s learned in upkeep and maintenance through the Habitat experience. "I actually learned a lot -- wiring, plumbing and all of that," he said. 'It was exciting. You get a lot of hands-on." After Richard and his friend finished sheet-rocking an entire room, Richard almost cried, he said. Like many families, home improvement is still on their minds, said Teresa. They want to build a deck and fence in the whole yard as well as plant flowers and do landscaping. Richard is planning on continuing to volunteer for Habitat. He will be helping at the North Berkshire affiliate's next site in Williamstown, he said. "The Habitat group is just a pleasure to work with. They were just great," said Richard. He praised the high school students from McCann Technical and elsewhere who framed and wired the whole house. "It's not an easy process. You have to keep your eye on the prize." The Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is building its newest house in Williamstown. The Hall Street property will be the eighth house completed by the chapter since its inception in 1990. "Drawing volunteers from Williams, MCLA, Drury, Mt. Greylock and McCann Tech is very important for us É it's fair to say the whole community has been involved with this one," said Larry Cherkis, president of Northern Berkshire Habitat and a retired attorney. They have received so many inquiries from people wanting to volunteer that they have had to appoint a volunteer coordinator, said Cherkis. Cherkis is especially excited about this newest house, which is being done in partnership with the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, which bought the land and donated it to Habitat. They were also involved with family selection, said Cherkis. The Hall Street house will have an advanced energy system, donated by Berkshire PhotoVoltaic Services. The house will generate more electricity than it needs, which will be sold back to the energy company, said Cherkis.
The Mendoncas Waiting was the hardest part for Florence "Bo" Mendonca and her husband William, or "Bill." "The excitement of moving into your own home -- you think you'll never get there, but you do," said Bo. The Mendoncas were living with their two daughters in a downstairs apartment on Second Street in Pittsfield in 1998 when Bill's mother saw a Habitat for Humanity commercial on television. Nine months later, after two or three interviews with the Central Berkshire Habitat board, the Mendoncas were chosen for a house that was being rehabilitated on Orchard Street. By October of 2000, they were able to move in. "There was not enough space [in the apartment]. It was 'insufficient housing.' There was bad wiring and lead paint in certain parts. We wanted to own our own home, but we couldn’t afford it," said Bo. Now on Orchard Street, her daughters, 11 and 8, have their own bedrooms. The Mendoncas share a back yard, big enough for a garden, with their neighbors. There was no yard at their apartment. Bill and Bo split the 500 hours of sweat equity, earning some of the hours by attending house maintenance and finance classes given by Habitat. "We did learn quite a bit," said Bo. The Mendoncas continue to volunteer for the Central Berkshire Habitat. Bill puts on the annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser. This year's event took place on Feb. 15 at Pilgrim Memorial Church in Pittsfield, where Bill cooked spaghetti and meatballs for more than 70 people. He enjoys that, said Bo, because he is a sous chef at Sugar Hill in Dalton. "People think that we're about rehabbing houses, but we’re about rehabbing families," said Ann Bloch, director of public relations for the Central Berkshire Habitat. Habitat can transform families by changing their housing, she said. And, she added, "We have an impact on neighborhoods." All of the Central Berkshire Habitat homes have been on the West side of Pittsfield, except for the Mendonca's home on Orchard Street. By accepting families for Habitat houses that make 50 percent or below the city's median income level, the chapter is eligible for extra grants, said Bloch, and "we feel like we’re really serving the needy population." "There a perception, I think, that there's no sense in applying for Habitat houses," said Bloch. She would like to dispel this perception. In fact, there are more houses available than there are applicants. "We need people in the pipeline now," said Bloch, so that when a house suddenly becomes available, there is a family who wants it. Since 1994, the Central Berkshire chapter has completed homes for 13 families. "Now our goal is to complete two buildings every 18 months," said Bloch. The Central Berkshire volunteer crew is working on a duplex on Von Nida Avenue right now, and will build a duplex next door, for which no family has yet been assigned. Habitat is always looking for donated or low-price building sites, said Bloch. To be eligible for Central Berkshire Habitat housing, a family must be residents of Pittsfield for at least one year, be low-income and employed, said Bloch. Every family that is accepted receives a sponsor, someone on the Habitat Family Partnership Committee who provides support from the time of selection through the signing of the mortgage. "A family who rents for the next 20 years will see their rent go up and they'll have nothing to show for it in the end," said Bloch. "A home is the biggest single asset most people accumulate."  RETURN TO TOP |
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