- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Habitat for Humanity celebrates dedication of its first new home in Valley fire area
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – One of the organizations working to build new homes for wildland fire survivors has celebrated its first home completed in the Valley fire area.
On May 6, Habitat for Humanity dedicated the new home for the Carreker family on Big Valley Road in Middletown.
This is the 21st new home the organization has brought to the county, the second for fire victims overall and the first in the Valley fire area, according to President Richard Birk.
Birk and other Habitat staff, friends and family welcomed the Carrekers into their new home at the May 6 event, which also featured a lunch and prayers of blessing by members of the community.
“We are so blessed; I never felt we deserved something like this,” said new homeowner Jim Carreker. “God and Habitat have been so generous. We can’t thank them enough for this opportunity.”
Habitat for Humanity Lake County partners with qualified, low-income families to build safe, decent, affordable houses.
The organization may be best known for stick-built homes that involve both sweat equity from the families who qualify for the homes as well as from volunteers.
Birk said Habitat in Lake County is continuing with those construction projects but also placing modular homes in situations where they make the most sense.
Because of Lake County’s devastating wildland fires of 2015 and 2016, Habitat’s mission has expanded to include recovery and putting fire survivors in new homes.
The organization itself was impacted by fire when its headquarters office in downtown Lower Lake was destroyed in the August 2016 Clayton fire.
Thanks to the generosity of community members – including Foods, Etc. owner Dennis Darling, who made available to Habitat office space he owns behind the grocery store at 15312 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake – Habitat was able to get back on its feet and continue with its work.
“We’re settled in and going,” said Birk.
The Carrekers’ home was the second fire area home project Habitat has completed. The first, for Clearlake Oaks resident Walter Dreis who lost his home in the 2015 Rocky fire, was completed earlier this year, Birk said. That home, located in the Double Eagle Subdivision, also is a modular.
“Our target for the recovery is mostly people who were renters who got displaced, because we believe that is the gap that nobody else is paying much attention to,” Birk said.
That’s especially important now, with rentals in even higher demand due to scarce housing stock. Birk said he has heard of rents going up by 40 to 50 percent, which is having a heavy impact on low-income county residents.
He said Habitat can get them into new homes for half the cost they’re paying in rent.
Regarding fire projects, Birk said Habitat has no others currently under way, although there are applications pending.
Asked how many fire area homes Habitat plans to build, Birk said, “It’s hard to get a number of the need, that’s the problem.”
He said Habitat is holding workshops for fire survivors and has had 50 applications, with more expected. Not all will qualify for various reasons.
“We’re just going to do as many as we can as long as we have funding,” he said.
Habitat has received a $2.6 million grant under the state CalHome program, which can be used for rebuilding homes for homeowners and new homes for former renters, who will become first-time homeowners, as Lake County News has reported.
Birk explained that the organization didn’t receive a lump sum; rather, the program requires that Habitat go through a detailed process that includes submitting its expenses after projects are completed in order to get reimbursed.
At the same time, Habitat continues to work with families in need who were not impacted by the fires.
He said they have three other homes under way for families who did not lose their homes in the fires, one of which is nearing completion. The groundbreaking on a fourth is about to take place.
Birk said applications are being accepted now for low-income families seeking to own their own homes and fire survivors.
Additionally, Habitat continues to offer its very successful critical home repair program, he said.
If you or someone you know has a housing need, were affected by one of the recent county wildfires and would like to learn more, visit www.lakehabitat.org , stop by Habitat’s Clearlake office at 15312 Lakeshore Drive or call 707-994-1100 for more information or a preapplication.
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