Habitat Now 17th Largest U.S. Builder

Habitat for Humanity International, the nonprofit builder oflow-income housing, was the 17th largest home builder in the countrylast year.

Builder magazine says Habitat, whose best-known volunteer isformer President Jimmy Carter, jumped from No. 22 in 1992 and No. 113in 1989.

Builder ranks home builders by the number of houses sold in theU.S. Habitat sold 2,705 last year, and took in $38.6 million indonations.

It has built 30,000 homes worldwide since 1976. The Chicagoarea Habitat chapters have constructed more than 100 houses.

The first joint construction project of the SouthWest SuburbanHome Builders Association and Habitat will be a single-family ranchhouse in Chicago Heights.

The house, according to Susan Delani, administrative director ofthe Chicago South Region of Habitat, is the first Habitatconstruction project in the southwest suburbs.

"It's exciting," she said, "because all of the labor andmaterials are being donated by professional tradesmen this time.They do this for a living. And they're doing it this time to helpput a woman and her three children into a brand-new home."

The house, at 512 Parnell, is for Paulette Coley, who works fora Chicago Heights beauty product manufacturer.

"One of the things a new owner must do in order to get a Habitathome is to work a certain number of hours of `sweat equity,' " Delanisaid.

"Ms. Coley will do 350 hours of `sweat equity' to help with her home, and another 100 hours to help another person get into theirHabitat home."

Habitat serves as its own mortgage company for the buyer,charging them over a fixed-payment time period for the materials thatwent into the house. Buyers have to establish a steady source ofincome.

Several SSHBA member companies offered their carpenters, twomore donated lumber and another two, the concrete.

Anyone wishing to contribute time, building materials or moneycan contact any of the following Habitat chapters: Albany Park, (312) 509-6034. Pilsen-Little Village, (312) 226-0074. Uptown, (312) 509-6034. Westside, (312) 638-1516. Fox Valley, (708) 896-7500. Lake County, (708) 623-1020. Northern Fox Valley, (708) 836-1432. Chicago South Region, (708) 756-2015. Will County, (815) 740-2047.