Habitat holds groundbreaking ceremony for Madison Heights Development

MASON CITY — A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday afternoon for Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa’s new “Madison Heights Development” in southwestern Mason City.

Habitat executive director Melissa Schoneberg says it’s a first of its kind project as 13 new homes will be built on the site of the former Madison Elementary School in the area of South Jefferson and Monroe Avenues and 26th and 27th Streets Southwest. “It’s a great property, there’s a lot of nice neighbors in the area, there’s a lot of kids. Maybe it’s a full-circle thing too that there’s a lot of kids from the schools that are going to be living in this block right here. Playground which is great that we were able to keep that for the community, and then the track and the community gardens, so it’s just been a great fit overall.”

Schoneberg says the Habitat families chosen as part of this project aren’t just getting a free home.  “Habitat we say is always a hand-up not a hand-out. We raise the money to build the houses and then we provide 0% interest mortgages to the families. They make low monthly payments over time. They also have to give sweat equity, so every adult gives 250 hours per adult to help build the houses, take classes, learn budgeting skills, things like that. It really is workforce housing, which some people haven’t really correlated that together, but it truly is. We have some great, hard-working families that just need a little hand up.”

Schoneberg says Habitat families usually have good reasons for wanting to be in a new home.   “A lot of the houses have been making them sick, or they have mold, and they have drafty windows, things like that, or they’re too small for their families and they can’t get approved for a bank loan that’s suitable. We’re going to have three, four, and five bedroom houses here. One and two-story, just trying to mix them up, so they fit into the neighborhood well. We’re excited to work with these families, it’s a great bunch, and they’re starting to meet each other more and more with the events we’re having. The kids are already hitting it off and they’re excited to be playing with each other in the playground.”

The first six houses are scheduled to be completed next summer, with work on the other seven houses happening when money is raised.