But there’s a special kind of residential development going on in Old Town Peoria right now.
Currently there are four Habitat for Humanity projects in various stages in the area of Madison Street and 85th Avenue.
Two properties have been dedicated recently, with homeowners expected to receive their keys in March for move in. The other two dedications will be Feb. 8 and Feb. 15.
Carin Imig, neighborhood and human services department community assistance manager, said in addition to the four properties in Old Town, two Habitat homes are planned to be built on a vacant property located at 11610 N. 79th Drive, with construction expected to begin in the fall.
She said the Peoria Neighborhood and Human Services Department partners with Habitat through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant funding to help develop affordable housing options for residents and support the city’s goal of providing diverse housing options.
Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in about 70 countries.
Councilwoman Vicki Hunt, who represents the Old Town area, said Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona has completed more than 3,000 new homes in Maricopa and Pinal counties. In Peoria alone, she said, 74 families have found new housing through Habitat’s unique program model, and just about every one of those new homes are in the Acacia District, which Ms. Hunt represents.
She said three pieces have to be in place for any Habitat development project to thrive — funding for land and materials; volunteers to “raise the roof”; and finally, a family willing to commit to the educational and sweat equity agreement.
She said a qualifying family makes a down payment with up to 400 sweat-equity hours in building their own homes and then the family pays for their home by way of a no-profit loan.
Qualifying families must attend mandatory workshops aimed at success in homeownership, and they must pay all closing costs before move-in, Ms. Hunt said.
“Sometimes people think it’s the government giving people a house. They are not given this. They have a mortgage. They have to qualify. They have to put in 300 man-hours of service to even qualify. It is a really lengthy and arduous process,” Ms. Hunt said. “Needless-to-say, they are very happy once they move in. And that makes me really happy.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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