Affordable housing may soon be coming to Merritt, as Habitat for Humanity Kamloops will begin accepting applications for families for a local housing project.

“We’re going to start taking family applications for a housing project in Merritt,” said Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Kamloops Society Bill Miller.

“We’re bringing the Habitat model to Merritt,” Miller continued.

Miller said the number of houses built will range anywhere from three to twelve, “depending on the need and depending on the interest.

“They’ll all be single family houses targeted for very low, low or moderate income. This is a market area for affordable housing. Our mission and vision is to facilitate the development and delivery of affordable or attainable housing.”

For the past several years, Habitat Kamloops has been evaluating communities within their service area for housing project suitability, and Merritt has been identified as an area where affordable housing is needed.

Miller said that Habitat Kamloops’ service area covers four districts in the Central Interior.

“We cover from Lumby to Revelstoke and Golden all the way up to Prince George. Merritt happens to be in our service area, and we have a position within the organization called a Procurement Coordinator. Part of his mandate was to find housing opportunities in different communities. We’ve had some ongoing discussions with the City of Merritt, and they’ve indicated that there is a need for affordable housing there.”

Procurement Coordinator Rex Landis has determined there may be several people and families within the Merritt area that are in need of affordable or attainable housing that fits the Habitat for Humanity model.

“He’s had a number of discussions with the city, and we’ve taken a long, hard look at Merritt and it’s within our territory, and we’ve done an outreach for the past two years to the communities in our service area, trying to determine if there’s a need or a desire to have Habitat come to the community and do some housing,” said Miller.

“Apparently, there is a need and possibly a waiting list of people in Merritt who would love to get into affordable housing. And that’s what we do, we’re a non-profit charitable society and our mandate is to put people in housing, so that’s what we’re trying to do. The preliminary information we have says that there is a need in Merritt.”

Habitat has selected a handful of suitable sites in Merritt to develop, but the number of houses depends on how many applications are received and approved. Applications will be available on the Habitat Kamloops website later this month. Low to moderate income individuals and families, veterans, persons with disabilities or special needs, and single parents are welcome to apply. Applicants are then pre-screened by the selection committee which includes Habitat board members. The screening process takes six to eight weeks.

“Normally the whole thing, from family selection process to funding approval, to construction and delivery, it takes about six to eight months,” said Miller.

“We’ll come and do a single house, but it’s more efficient if we can do three or four or six.”

The Merritt project will be in association with Eagle Homes.

“We operate with contributions, which are grants, gifts in kind, sponsorships, and donations from material suppliers and labour suppliers,” explained Miller.

“We also have some financing involved. We capitalize each project depending on the nature of the project, it’s not 100-percent donated. We layer up other opportunities for funding, put a package together and go build a house.”

Habitat for Humanity offers different levels of financing in order to facilitate home ownership for people who may not otherwise be able to afford it.

“Historically Habitat would, for a selected family, finance the house at 100-percent,” said Miller.

“So, no down payment, zero interest loan, payments not to exceed 30-percent of their gross income, we limit it to 30-percent max, and all payments are applied to the principal, that’s still available. But we now have a different mortgage model that’s better facilitating us to continue to expand, which is a 65/35. 65-percent conventional financing and 35-percent Habitat. So, we’ll look at the family applicants and their ability to service the debt or make a mortgage payment.”

Successful applicants must also commit to 500 ‘sweat equity’ hours in the building of their home.

Miller hopes that the project will be well received get underway as soon as possible so that the home building can take place throughout the summer and fall.

“It will be a great Christmas present if it all goes ahead,” Miller concluded.