Habitat Homes Article

http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=4928019&nav=menu40_5

In one week, a Waveland family hit hard by Katrina will move into a brand new home. The house is being built by the Habitat for Humanity Foundation. But as WLOX NEWS found out, the Habitat home currently going up is only the first of many to come in Hancock County.

The sounds of construction signal a new beginning for the Adams Family. Four feet of gushing water did irreversible damage to the house they called home for more than 27 years.

"A fresh start, a new beginning. We're not leaving, I'm not leaving. Waveland is my home and I love it down here and I won't leave," Susan Adams said.

Thanks to Habitat For Humanity, the couple won't have to leave the city. The organization is building them a new home.

"It's a four bedroom, roughly 1200 square foot, sort of a Coastal Cottage designed house," said Habitat Construction Manager Mark Scott.

This is a history making construction project in Hancock County. It's the first Habitat home ever to be built in this county. And organizers say it's just the first of many.

"We currently have 16 lots in Waveland and about 40 in Bay St. Louis. We're still in the process of negotiating to buy more land, and are receiving donations of land from area residents, so we'll be building here for a long time," said Habitat Project Manager Wendy McDonald.

Scott said. "When someone determines the catastrophe is over, we'll leave a program here that will continue to build houses for first time home buyers probably five, six, seven years down the road."

The Adams Family is just grateful Habitat is helping meet the area's housing needs.

"This is a house that love has built. Habitat has become more than friends, they're a great organization and I can't thank them enough."

The Adams home marks the 1,001 Habitat Home built in Mississippi.

by Al Showers