Habitat Home dedication in Athens ‘a new beginning’ for family

ATHENS — The Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley hosted a home dedication in Athens on Saturday – the first home the organization has built in Limestone County. 

Executive Director Jeremy Foulks said the organization now serves Madison, Jackson and Limestone counties. 

“We’re really excited that the community came together to make this a reality for us,” he said. “So this family that’s getting this home is getting into a home that they can live and grow and become all that God intends.”   

For new homeowners Tamika and Kira Walton, the home means a new beginning.   

“This is just the start, just a new beginning for us. I mean, cause we’ve been forever trying,” Tamika said. “We’ve been striving for a home, and I just couldn’t figure out how.  It just means everything to me.” 

Foulks said new home recipients put in “sweat equity” to build their new home and others.

“Each family that comes to us has to do 300 hours of sweat equity work,” he said. “They’ll do 100 hours working with other nonprofits or civic organizations in the community. They do another 100 hours working on their home in the homes of others.” 

New homeowners are also required to complete 63 hours of home ownership education and financial literacy, according to Faulks. 

“We’re a nonprofit Christian housing ministry,” said Foulks. “ What we do is we sell the home. The mortgage that they pay back to Habitat is for the cost of building the home. So whatever our cost was for this home, that’s where they’re going to pay us back. And we finance it at 0% interest.

“We do not profit off the home. We do not profit off the mortgage.” 

Foulks said the program allows families to reinvest into savings, education and growing their lives. 

“So while average rent in the metro area is sitting around $1,400 a month, mortgage payments are sitting around $600 a month, and that includes homeowners insurance and property taxes and a termite bond,” he said.  

Tamika’s daughter Kira said now that she has a baby, their family’s new home means so much.

“I know tomorrow’s not promised to anybody, but for sure, I know, I think about tomorrow, and I know he’ll grow up in a nice home, grow up with a nice big backyard in a nice neighborhood with a nice community,” she said.  

“I’m grateful.”