Habitat for Humanity's P.E.I. branch working to change wrong beliefs about its housing - Action News
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PEI

Habitat for Humanity's P.E.I. branch working to change wrong beliefs about its housing

As the group plans new builds in Tyne Valley, O'Leary and Three Rivers, it's working to change a commonly held perception that its homes are a form of poverty relief.

'It's an affordable mortgage opportunity. It's affordable home ownership'

People in hard hats carry lumber towards a partially built house
New Habitat for Humanity projects will be going into Tyne Valley, Three Rivers and O'Leary starting in the spring of 2024. This photo shows a past build on Lennox Island. (Tom Steepe/CBC)

AsHabitat for Humanity plans new builds in Tyne Valley, O'Leary and Three Rivers in 2024, it's working to change a commonly held impression among Island residents about what it does.

"There's that stigma that it's poverty relief," said Pam Schurman-Montgomery, CEO of the non-profit's P.E.I. operation, adding thatshe hears thistype of misconceptionoften.

"I've spoken to several organizations municipalities and individuals who feel that we provide social housing, and that our housing is somewhat subsidized. It's not," shesaid.

She is still waiting to see what type of housing the new builds will bein the three Island communities this spring,though she said they will likely be multiple-home buildingssuch as townhouses. As always, donations from people, businesses and other agencies will cut the cost to the eventual buyer.

What makes units like these affordable is not the overall price theselected homeowners will pay for them, but the details of the mortgage, said Schurman-Montgomery.

"With us, it's the opportunity to get into a mortgage where your payments are no greater than 30 per cent of your gross household income, and there's no down payment on it," she said.

"It's an affordable mortgage opportunity. It's affordable home ownership."

A small blue bungalow with no front porch and no landscaping yet.
One of two new modular homes built by Habitat for Humanity in Souris in 2023. (Habitat for Humanity)

"Habitat's homebuyers invest hundreds of hours of their own labour, called sweat equity, working alongside volunteers and other Habitat homeowners, in addition to paying an affordable mortgage and receiving financial education," says the group's main website.

Hundreds of applications on P.E.I.

A person with with long blond hair and a white top smiles.
Pam Schurman-Montgomery, CEO of Habitat for Humanity on P.E.I., says her organization offers the opportunity to get into a mortgage where your payments are no greater than 30 per cent of your gross household income, and there's no down payment. (Habitat for Humanity)
Last year, Habitat for Humanity had 123 applications for just six homes it builton P.E.I. This year, the group asked for pre-applications, before the units were even designed, and has received almost 300 so far.

Staff will internally review applications, then pass them along with no names attachedto a committee who picks the successful candidates based on their life stories.

Making a final decision is "pretty tough," said Schurman-Montgomery.

Given all those circumstances, she said she wouldn't want anyone who gets one of these homes to deal with any stigma.

"We're pushing pretty hard with our messaging and communications to dissuade that conversation."

With files from Island Morning