Investing in dreams  

"Nowadays owning your own home is out of reach for a lot of working people in our community - we all need to be part of the solution. So we developed a mortgage loan program that accepts owner-builders' sweat equity instead of a cash down payment and gets them into their own homes.
- Barb Kaye, Vice President and Western Region Manager, Community Lending  

"Self-Help owner-builders work side by side through all kinds of weather on each other's homes, building the kind of community and support most people don't have anymore. These families also develop the confidence and self-reliance that will help them and their children be successful throughout their lives."
- Jackie Gleason, State Director, USDA Rural Development  

"My six year old daughter and I were living in a moldy rental that was falling apart, but I didn't make enough to make payments on a loan, much less on a down payment," explains Kari.

"When I heard about KCCHA's Self-Help Housing Program, I thought building my own house would be worth it. I still do."

What Kari is doing isn't for the faint of heart. By the time her home is complete, she will have spent at least 30 hours a week for a year - that's about 1,100 hours - on the construction site, in addition to holding down a full-time job and going to college at night.

As part of the Self-Help Housing Program, she and eight other single moms and couples "earn" the down payment on their home by building it themselves.

Most of these "self-helpers" have never used a hammer before, but they learn fast from KCCHA construction supervisor Del Sutton, who is part teacher, part mentor and part cheerleader. No member of the team gets to move in until all of the houses are complete, so it encourages them all to work together on each other's homes.

KeyBank and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency are among the biggest supporters of this program, mainly because they believe it's an investment in people, not just homes. "Self-helpers create a community and support network that is priceless, as well as confidence that spills over into their jobs and personal lives," says USDA RD State Director Jackie Gleason.

Owner-builder Gloria agrees. "When I first started building my house, I went to the store and handed them my list of tools. When I explained I needed these tools to build my own house, they looked skeptical and asked if I knew how to use them. I said no, but when I'm finished building my house, I'll come back in and I'll tell you."

Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel and USDA RD State Director Jackie Gleason talk with a Port Orchard owner-builder as she helps build her neighbor's home. "These owner-builders are willing to do whatever it takes to own their own home," says Angel. "The Self-Help Program gives them the tools and skills they need to make their dreams come true."