Habitat for Humanity of Greene and Boone counties is bringing back a program that rehabilitates homes in the area.

Executive Director Erich Kretzinger says this program allows the non-profit organization to work with a partnering family to move them into a better housing situation by rehabbing an existing home.

The program was last done in Greene County in 2011 and Kretzinger explains that they were running short of applicants for home repairs with the Helping Hands group and so they wanted to bring the rehabilitation program back to Jefferson this year.

Kretzinger states that the house is at 901 West Washington and has been vacant for over two years.  An out-of-state company bought the foreclosure property and then forgot they made the purchase.  That company’s president is also on the board for a Habitat for Humanity organization in St. Cloud, Minnesota and decided to sell the house to the Greene County group for $10,000.  The home is appraised for $45,000.

Plans are to replace the roof and some doors on the outside and knock out walls, redo the entire floor and kitchen and make other improvements to the inside.

Kretzinger talks about the qualified family also helping to do some of the rehab work.

“They’ll be working with us along side our volunteers to do the repairs and then they’ll move in and they will pay for the home with monthly payments on a mortgage just like anyone else, except they have the advantage of not being charged interest on that mortgage.”

He hopes to continue to provide projects like this to help any qualified family live in a better home.  Applications for future projects can be accepted by calling the main office in Boone at 515-432-1168.

Kretzinger believes the house will be completed by next summer.