Third local Habitat for Humanity house dedicated

Seeing her sons’ jubilant faces and hearing their laughter is all Dezarae Davis needs to know they are happy in their new Habitat for Humanity home in Mitchell.

“The boys each have their own room, which is good for them,” she said. “Obviously, we have a yard now that we didn’t have before. We are close to the park.

“It feels good.”

Mitchell Regional Habitat for Humanity dedicated its third house built during the chapter’s eight-year history Friday.

The chapter is affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International, which has erected at least 300,000 homes for 1.5 million people in 3,000 communities to provide safe, affordable shelter since being founded in 1976. In South Dakota, 14 chapters have built nearly 200 homes.

Habitat recipients pay a lower mortgage with a zero percent loan.

“This is our first house in several years, so it’s good to see everything up and going again,” board Treasurer Bill Delehant said.

Delehant said construction began the end of last summer on the roughly 1,100-square-foot home. He noted that it’s been a challenge to build more Habitat homes in Mitchell because lots have been expensive.

“We were lucky enough (to have) somebody approach us. It had an old dilapidated house,” Delehant said, noting the donor was from California and had owned the home and rented it. “We came in and demolished the previous house, and then were able to build here.”

Quite a few lots in Mitchell cost $10,000 to $20,000, he said. Habitat officials looked at a couple of lots on the lower end, but they had covenants for garages that aren’t allowed by the organization.

Davis and her sons — Mason, 8, and Maddox, 3 — moved to 1307 E. Ash Ave. at the end of May. She learned her application was approved last September.

Davis, 31, heard about the program from a co-worker, who recommended she apply. She rented a two-bedroom apartment in town previously.

The three-bedroom, one-bath home features a gray exterior and small front porch.

Davis’ family was recruited for various aspects of construction, as the new owner must take part in this process. Her stepfather did a lot of the initial building and Davis and her boys painted quite a bit. Her grandfather laid the bathroom floor and uncles and cousins helped shingle the roof.

Mason Davis said it’s fun to live in a house and have his own room.

“It’s a bigger house,” he said. “I have fun with my puppy. I have fun downstairs — it’s our playroom.”

But he likes the kitchen island best out of any room in the house. That’s where his family can gather.

Davis said she would like to remodel the unfinished basement someday, perhaps converting it into a family room or bedroom and bathroom.

Tags: habitat for humanity, dezarae davis, news