The ground was broken in a ceremony on Friday afternoon for the most recent round of participants in the Self Help Ground Up Construction project. Local officials, such as Carbon County Commissioner Tony Martines and Economic Development Director Shanny Wilson, were present at the groundbreaking ceremony.
This is a project that is ran by the Southeast Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) Housing Rehabilitation Specialists. Through sweat equity, the participants that have qualified for their very own home assist in the construction of the structure.
The six participants for this round are Shaylin Jensen, Colton Judd, Lora Johnson, Taylor Edwards, Robby Matkin, and Drew and Krystal Behunin. The project’s construction supervisor is Keith Cox, with Vikki Ori acting as the housing manager.
“We are successfully creating affordable homes where families can live, work and thrive in our community,” Ori stated.
The labor that is contributed by the qualified families and their volunteers makes up 65% of the build. Participants have 17 mandatory hours per week, with an additional 13 hours expected from volunteers.
Those that are interested in the program may submit an application for the next round of housing opportunities. The current maximum income per household is one to four people with a household income of $66,300 and five to eight people with an income of $87,500.
Pre-qualifications are being taken by appointment. Ori can be contacted at (435) 613-0026 or vori@seualg.utah.gov. The next group of homes will likely begin construction in Spring of 2024 and a waitlist of qualified applicants is currently being created.
