Amanda McIntosh, Tyler Procarione, Gracie Steele, Kade Lyons and Brett Johnson raise the first wall to be put up on the project. All are participants in a program where a group of people help each other with building a home under the direction of a contractor, thus gaining immediate equity in the homes they will then occupy.
Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Press Release
Last week, those participating in a United States Department of Agriculture housing program that is being managed by the Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) raised the first wall on one of the homes that are being constructed. It was a big step for the people involved in realizing their dreams of home ownership.
There has been a USDA program for years that was used to help income-qualified families put sweat equity into existing distressed properties by not only fixing them up, but updating them and making the neighborhood a better place to live. That program has now grown into one that allows people in that same category to build new houses as well.
“Because of the limited number of homes for sale in our current housing market, we are being guided to offer new ground-up construction. We will continue to do housing rehabs, but we have found it is time to enter into this program,” said Barbara Fausett, who administers the USDA Self Help and Housing Rehab Programs at SEUALG. “The contract we have with USDA has now been amended so that we can offer new construction as well. The support for those approved will include the cost of the lot and materials to build a brand new home with zero down, no origination fee or mortgage insurance premiums, which saves the applicants close to 2 percent on their closing costs.”
A second home that is going up across the street has its foundation in place and walls will be going up soon. A total of four houses are included in the present project, but future developments are planned.
Fausett said the participants and any volunteers will put in the sweat equity in the home as it is constructed, earning equity at completion.
Interested parties can contact Barbara Fausett at (435) 613-0026 or email her at bfausett@seualg.utah.gov.