Habitat for Humanity building in Nebraska City

NEBRASKA CITY – Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln is set to introduce the non-profit to Nebraska City with live music, dinner and testimonies from previous home owners at a Christmas gala on Dec. 5.

Director Shay Homeyer, who is bringing the Unlock the Dream event from her previous post in St. Joseph, Mo., said expanding into rural development is an objective for the Christian non-profit organization and its service area that includes Otoe and Seward counties.

 

Homeyer: “Rural development is where my heart is at so being in the rural areas and seeing there is not a lot of non-profits or people who can help out anyone in a population of less than 10,000 people is pretty tough. Usually the churches pick up that load, but they are not building homes.”

Up to 55 students from the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at UN-L are expected to arrive in May to erect a duplex near 13^th Street and Fifth Avenue north of the old St. Mary’s Hospital.

State document stamp taxes support the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which has typically provided grants to pay for construction materials on housing projects. The Lincoln-based home builder has received funding since 1988, but Homeyer said there is a statewide push for housing this year and grant competition left her organization out.

She hopes the red gala event will raise awareness about the organization and encourage local support.

 Homeyer: “Because we are a new non-profit in the area no one really knows what it is that we do. They know Habitat for Humanity by name, but everyone thinks that about just building one or two, or three or five, houses a year, and we have so many other things we do.”

• The organization also sponsors The Women Build Program – Women are organized for a day of hands-on construction for an affordable home.
•  Homes for older adults – Lincoln Habitat for Humanity has received a $1.9 million federal grant to  help elderly people stay in their homes.
• Rock the Block – neighborhood revitalization.

Gillian Simrell, director of home owner services, said it’s her job to carry out Habitat for Humanity’s mission under its mantra of a ‘hand up, not a hand out.’ She said home owner applicants benefit from helping to build their own home, but must be able to pay a mortgage.

She said she is thrilled the Lincoln organization is branching out to her hometown with classes for successful home ownership.

 

Gillian: “You know the main thing they say is, when we ask them what has been the biggest blessing of Habitat, they say it feels like family. They get that personal one-on-one time with me to … you know, they feel like they are not alone in the process.”

Homeyer said the program works because of volunteer labor and banking partners willing to offer low-interest mortgages, but, with no grants for construction materials this year, the $500,000 Nebraska City project will rely on about $100,000 from Habitat for Humanity's reserve funds.

 

Homeyer: “My calling is just to work for Habitat for Humanity. My goal is to move further down into southeast Nebraska and help more counties, but a stepping stone is just getting here to Otoe County and we’ll see where we go.”

Visit Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln to purchase tickets for the Christmas gala.

https://lincolnhabitat.org/