Rachel Hernandez and her son, Jaime Valenzuela, officially kicked off Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 13th homebuild Dec. 13 in Cottonwood.
Hernandez began the laborious process of acquiring a mortgage and two-bedroom home construction approval through Habitat for Humanity mid-year and got final approval in October. As part of the qualification process, she and 19-year-old Valenzuela put in 300 to 400 sweat-equity hours and raised funds for Habitat for Humanity.
According to Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Tania Simms, local firm Lawler Construction will begin building in January. Tempe’s HercuTech — a green building materials manufacturer that sets up reinforced concrete composite walls without the use of rebar — has returned to the area to contribute to the project.
“This is the second time we’ve supported Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity,” HercuTech CEO Michael Niemann said. “We built a house last year in Sedona …. Supporting Habitat for Humanity is one of our company initiatives.”
The cost of building with pre-cut kits of panelized concrete, Niemann added, is that it reduces costs and reduces the amount of time residents like Hernandez and Valenzuela — many of whom are living in modest or insufficient housing prior to qualification through Habitat for Humanity — have to wait for their homes to be completed.
Niemann gestured at the newly turned earth where a new house will soon stand. “The walls for this actually go up in two hours.”
In her address, Simms reminded members of the audience that Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity does not do handouts. Instead, applicants who cannot acquire mortgages through traditional means must pass muster, proving they want a home and can commit to a mortgage through the organization.
Most home-build applicant families in Arizona make between $20,000 and $30,000 per year, a maximum 30 percent of which will go to mortgage payments.
According to Simms, despite some demographic changes, one of the major goals of U.S. citizens is still home ownership. Collaborations like those between Habitat for Humanity, Lawler Construction and HercuTech allow individuals like Hernandez and Valenzuela to achieve their dreams — not only of a roof over their heads, but financial stability.
