Ten Great Falls families are proud new owners of their very own homes.
Through NeighborWorks Great Falls’ Owner Built Home Program, the families achieved homeownership by building not just their own homes, but also the homes of their neighbors.
A key piece of the program is all the homes must be complete before a family can move in.
One of the new homeowners, Leslie Davis, said that when they began work many months ago, “It was a field. A field of dirt and now it’s a neighborhood.”
And on move-in day, Davis said, “I did it. I built that. It’s just a great feeling.”
Each family worked for 30-plus hours every week for a year.
Davis says she can’t wait to move in with her two-year-old son: “It’s an accomplishment. It’s going to feel great."
She is also thankful for her new neighbors.
“We never would have met each other outside of this program because we are all so different. Every one of us is just great and it’s been amazing to meet and get to know all ten families,” Davis said.
The completion of these new houses marks 135 owner-built homes in Great Falls through NeighborWorks.
You can learn more about the program at the NeighborWorks website , which includes this overview:
NeighborWorks' Owner Built Homes allow participants to earn substantial equity by working with a group of other families to help build each others' homes, and in doing so help to build one another's dreams. Their labor is called “sweat equity” and is what makes these homes affordable. Hard work is the key to this project, along with a desire to work together to build our community and new homes. The group commits to building 10 homes together, and no one can move in until all 10 homes have been completed. NeighborWorks Owner Built Homes allow families and individuals to embark on a guided development that turns their homeownership dream into a reality.
