Construction is underway on the first of nine homes that Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County plans to build for low-income veterans and military families in Pacific.
Andy Varyu, director for faith, corporate and in-kind relations for Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County, said work on the first three-bedroom, one-bath house will be completed in two months.
He conceded that time frame is aggressive – most houses will require 6 to 9 months to complete – but he said it is possible with the help of Delta Air Lines, which is sponsoring the home and providing 300 volunteers.
Rachel Grinage and her 9-year-old son, Ahmad, were selected to move into the first house. Attempts to reach Grinage were unsuccessful, but Varyu said she was born in Michigan before she relocated to Mesa, Ariz., in high school. Grinage then moved to the Puget Sound region while she served in the Navy. She will move from public housing in West Seattle to Pacific when her home is finished in October or November.
Other veterans face home ownership obstacles, as well. According to a Jon Hoskins February 2013 study, there are more than 127,000 former and current members of the U.S. military living in King County. His research also showed that 17,000 of them live on an income well below the federal poverty level, which varies based on household size.
“It was a good fit for the military because of the number of low-income veterans living down there,” Varyu said.
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County purchased the land for the homes in 2010, but Varyu said the idea to build them for veterans did not come until later.
“We heard from veterans groups that there is a lot of housing assistance available, but nothing that helps them buy a house,” he said. “This is a need that we specialize in.”
Varyu said all of the units will be single-story houses to accommodate veterans with disabilities. According to a news release from Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County, the homes are expected to range between 860 and 1,250 square feet with two to four bedrooms.
For more information, contact Katelyn Chesney at 206-855-5225 or katelyn.chesney@habitatskc.org
