Aiken to donate lots for Habitat houses

AIKEN --- A new agreement between the city of Aiken and Aiken County Habitat for Humanity will make lots available to the agency on a yearly basis.

The city agreed last month to allow Habitat to use three vacant lots that are on a city inventory. Each year that Habitat builds homes to city standards and has candidates for more homes it can again request three lots from the city.

"The house would be built to our design standards, landscaped and the front yards sodded," said Aiken City Manager Roger LeDuc. "For every home they build according to these standards the city in return would provide up to three lots the next year.

"This assists them and accomplishes the goal of providing quality, affordable homes to low-income families in Aiken and in filling property throughout the city."

Habitat builds homes throughout the county. But Aiken County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Richard Church said his group had only one lot left within the city, and it wasn't a prime spot for development.

"We do get people that want to live in the city because of family or they have a job that's there, and it makes it more convenient for them. ... I'm glad we have these three lots."

Areas being considered for new Habitat homes include Ridge, Hampton and Abbeville avenues, Mr. Church said.

Within a year, he said, he hopes to have the first two if not all three lots completed and someone living there. He said it typically takes about 32 work days to build a Habitat home. With volunteers working on Fridays and Saturdays, it takes about four months to complete the job.

Mr. Church said a typical Habitat home costs $60,000 to $65,000 and that those approved through a screening process can live there at a much lower cost than they would on their own.

"Habitat in many ways is the local community's way of dealing with the problems we're facing with this recession," Mr. Church said.

Despite the current economic situation, Mr. Church said, the organization is still building homes with the help of sponsors and volunteers. Habitat has been in Aiken for 20 years, and Mr. Church said it has built 73 homes in that time.

"We're still going at the same speed," he said.

Reach Preston Sparks at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.