WAYNESBORO – Mark Story, director of advancement for Franklin County Habitat for Humanity, detailed the organizations growth, noting the group has built 60 homes for individuals in the county who otherwise wouldn’t qualify for a mortage.
Habitat started in Georgia in 1965 as an organization first called Fund for Humanity, Story said. It came to Franklin County in 1994.
Funding for the homes comes from monetary and in-kind donations, sales at Habitat’s ReStore shop, which opened in 2015, and from mortgage payments. To qualify, applicants must meet HUD low- or moderate-income standards and not be able to get a mortgage elsewhere.
They also must agree to put some “sweat equity” into building their home. Habitat keeps costs down by using volunteer labor and providing zero interest loans to its clients, Story said. Money the organization receives is recycled to build more homes.
