Third duplex on Luray property could see ‘blitz build’ this summer
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, April 8 — Much like the fading of the local United Way chapter several years ago, Page County’s Habitat for Humanity has suffered from lack of participation. Most board members dropped off during the pandemic, and the larger umbrella organization started pushing the Page chapter to follow the precedent of their non-profit peers in the United Way.
“Two years ago they wanted us to dissolve our affiliate and merge in with one of the other surrounding groups, either Warren, Frederick or Harrisonburg area,” said Jeremy McCoy, the current president of Page’s Habitat chapter. “They do a great job, but they are building 15 or 20 [homes] a year and they are running it through almost like a business, and we didn’t want our piece of land and money be the only thing they got out of it and then maybe they didn’t help out over in this area as much.”
A handful of board members are now trying to revive the local organization’s efforts to address housing needs for lower-income families in Page County. Applicants potentially qualify for a Habitat home if they fall below 60 percent of the average median income in the county (set by the state).
“There is so much need, and so much opportunity,” said Howard Leach, vice president of the local Habitat chapter. “We’re not talking about giving it to someone who could afford a mortgage or something somewhere else; these are people who cannot afford anything else.”
On Tuesday, Luray and county officials gathered with Habitat board members at 22 Hilltop Lane — as the crow flies, directly between West Main Street and the VDOT equipment station off Mechanic Street — to break ground on Habitat’s third duplex at the site.
“We felt like having the duplex in Stanley to refurbish and remodel [last year], and having this piece of land and some money in the bank, that we could do something over the next couple of years to resurrect the affiliate,” McCoy said.
One family has already been approved for half of the new duplex, while “several applications” are being reviewed for the other half. The local Habitat built two other duplexes at the site in 2008, with one lot remaining. The new addition will follow the same floor plan as the first two — with three bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen and a living room for each unit.
The duplex unit is expected to cost up to to $150,000 to build — depending greatly on donations and in-kind labor. The new owners will pay the non-profit $500 per month, and cannot resell the property for at least 15 years without relinquishing half the equity to Habitat for Humanity.
Sometimes, the agreement doesn’t work out. Like when Habitat retook a duplex along Park Road in Stanley last year, refurbished it, and found two new families a new home. McCoy, who helps coach several local sports teams, says that high school athletes helped refurbish several properties.
“The kids we’ve asked to help, they’ have’ve had fun with it,” he said. “They got as much paint on each other as on the wall sometimes, but they had a good time and learned a little bit about helping the community.”
Permits will soon be issued for the property on Hilltop Lane so that the foundation can be set, and Mark Good Construction of Stanley can come in to “put the deck on,” according to McCoy. That work will hopefully be completed in time for a community “blitz build” in June.
“Everyone who said they wanted to volunteer, that’s the time to volunteer,” the chapter president said. “We will have all the materials here to frame the house, put the roof and shingles on, house wrap, preferably have windows and doors in it… all in one weekend.”
Andersen Corp. is donating $10,000 worth of windows and doors. Primdor in Stanley is also donating doors. Other materials are being provided at just 5 percent above cost. A key ceremony — where ownership is turned over from the non-profit to the new tenant — is expected this fall, possibly in October.
Karen Gochenour (treasurer), Tom Bauserman and Whitney Wheeler join McCoy and Leach in trying to keep the torch burning at the local Habitat for Humanity.
“The builds are easy because they only take a short period of time. What we need is board members and people who are willing to work on committees to work with families to determine who we help and also to help families grow, to maintain their home and remain in their home,” Leach said.
Page County’s Habitat chapter was first launched in 1995 and has built a number of housing units all across the county. Much of the last decade, the non-profit has been somewhat dormant — except for the repossession and refurbishing of one of the Hilltop units in 2017, and the Stanley foreclosure last year.
“We still need help fundraising, with site prep and just help making decisions [board members],” McCoy said. “There usually is not a problem with labor — but getting skilled labor can be tougher. And we are willing to pay for some of that, but how much we pay determines what we can do on a given project.”
Unlike their peers in Warren, Rockingham or Frederick counties, the Page chapter of Habitat for Humanity has no paid staff. They are all volunteers.
“We want to use last year’s rehab and this year’s build as a stepping stone to keep us going,” McCoy said. “So let us know of any available blighted property in any of the towns…this last was in Stanley, this one is going to be in Luray, we’d like to find a piece of property in Shenandoah to help someone up there as well.”
Old buildings can present certain problems regarding old construction (asbestos, lead, etc.), but Habitat wants to find available properties within town limits to take advantage of town utilities. Some state grants would support placing solar panels on the roofs on these housing units — driving electric costs to “almost nothing” — and Leach said the organization was hoping “to get involved in that program” in the future.
“We want to stay inside town limits because of the utilities and hookups…wells are such an unknown right now on a lot of properties, for how much it costs…so to keep the costs down to where it needs to be we need to hook up to town water and sewer,” McCoy said. “We need some blighted properties; something that we can get inexpensively.”
All donations to Habitat for Humanity are TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Property owners get credit for the value of the property. To donate, volunteer or get more information, email the local chapter at: pagecountyhfh@gmail.com
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