BRADLEY, Maine — Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor was recently given a small home with garage on Cram Street and the organization is looking for a qualifying family to make it their home, Executive Director Lynn Hempen said Thursday.
“This house is a small three-bedroom,” Hempen said. “We’re looking for a family with pretty good credit, in the 640 [score] range. A young working family with two kids would be perfect.”
The sea-foam green colored home was built in the 1960s and was given to the group by Wells Fargo, she said. It is considered a fixer-upper and the renovations will be done through a partnership with area students, business partners, volunteers and, of course, the selected homeowner, Hempen said.
Each new homeowner is required to complete 300 hours of sweat equity as part of their home’s purchase agreement.
“Everything you see here will look completely different when it’s finished,” she said. “Students from the University of Maine’s construction and engineering program are doing the plans for the new design. They’re also going to manage this renovation.”
Pictures of the UMaine students are posted on the group’s Facebook page, showing them measuring different areas of the house and looking at designs.
Other students from Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor are tasked with doing the electrical wiring and fine wood work.
“It’s a great symbiotic relationship,” Hempen said. “They need the experience and we need their expertise.”
Families interested in the home must earn between 30 percent and 80 percent of the Bangor Metro Area Income, which is $24,250 to $49,450 for a family of four.
“We’re looking for a family with stable income, who pay their rent on time,” Hempen said.
They must also be able to pay a $500 down payment.
Habitat has plans to begin renovations in the second or third week of March.
Only six people submitted applications when the house was first listed as a two-bedroom, which is why plans were changed to add a third bedroom, and the time to apply was extended.
Anyone interested can go to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor’s website to download the four-page application or they can stop by the Habitat ReSale store, which is also the group’s Bangor office, at 83 Washington St. in Bangor to pick one up.
An informational session for people interested in finding out if they qualify is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Bangor Habitat office.
Completed applications for the 30-year, zero-percent interest mortgage are due by Feb. 29.
“It’s gonna be an awesome house,” Hempen said. “It overlooks a stream, Great Works Stream, that connects to nearby Chemo Pond.”