Two new Habitat for Humanity homes underway in Hingham; GoFundMe effort will help cover costs

June 2, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer

Plans are underway to build two affordable Colonial-style, single-family homes at 302 and 304 Whiting Street in Hingham in partnership with South Shore Habitat for Humanity.

The Hingham Affordable Housing Trust is also involved with the project. Site preparation has already begun.

These will be the fourth and fifth Habitat homes in town, including two on Central Street and another on Nokomis Road.

SSHH volunteers will work alongside the individuals or families who are chosen to be the new homeowners, hammering, painting, and performing other tasks -- with the goal of finishing both homes by Spring 2023.

Each adult in the family is required to contribute 250 hours of their time toward building their new home. For those unable to do so, other volunteer opportunities are available, including providing lunches for the workers at the site.

"We'll be welcoming volunteers in late summer to help build these two homes," SSHH Executive Director Beth Lyons told the Hingham Anchor. "It takes about 500 volunteers to build one house."

The total project cost for the two roughly 1,300-square-foot, energy-efficient, three-bedroom, 1.5 bath homes is $664,381.

Voters at the recent Town Meeting supported using $166,840 from Hingham Community Preservation Act funds to pay for 80 percent of the foundation and lumber costs, the septic systems, and site supervision. This amount represents 25 percent of the project budget at this time.

A GoFundMe page -- https://www.gofundme.com/f/Habitat4Hingham -- has been set up to raise funds to help complete both houses, with a goal of $30,000.

"For this $664,381 project, we have raised more than $620,000 in monetary and material/services gifts (including the Community Preservation funding passed by the Town of Hingham) so we could break ground this summer," SSHH Senior Development Officer Jill Tompkins said. "We encourage everyone to share the GoFundMe link in every way possible!"

"The South Shore Habitat for Humanity chapter is focused on building homes in our area, and I have admired their organized process and dedication to raising funds to build the homes from residents and businesses on the South Shore," Hingham resident Steve Saleski, a Habitat volunteer, shared with the Hingham Anchor. "This 'grassroots' fundraising has been the key to their continued success in building new homes in neighboring towns every year."

The Housing Trust’s ability to partner with Habitat is "a wonderful example of a public-private partnership," Chair Amy Farrell told the Hingham Anchor. "Habitat -- as a private, not-for-profit housing developer -- is able to move ahead quickly with construction projects once funding has been sourced -- a real accomplishment in today’s competitive construction market. The Trust looks forward to the completion of this development, the delivery of two more affordable homes, and future opportunities to work with Habitat."

The selection process is expected to begin in June. Habitat family partners are chosen through a competitive process based on their ability to repay a low-interest mortgage, a demonstrated need for adequate housing, and meeting income and other criteria.

Lyons explained why this is an important project for the town. "The average price of a home here is extremely high, and a lot of people who provide essential services can't afford to live here," she said. "This is an opportunity for families of low or moderate incomes to live in a nice town with a yard to play in and a great school system, which gives their children a hand up and more opportunities."

The need for housing at prices "below, well below, Hingham’s median home cost of $860,000 continues unabated," Farrell said. "The Whiting Street homes are a step in the right direction, and the Trust looks forward to additional partnerships with Habitat.”

When SSHH builds two homes on a lot, the town may designate one home to qualify for local preference. This means that of the qualified applicants, preference may be given to one of the applicants if they live or work in Hingham, in this case.

South Shore Habitat interviews the family partner in their current residence. Selection of the families for the affordable housing includes guidelines such as a significant need for adequate housing, overcrowding deemed as less than 170 square feet per person, and rent that constitutes 30 percent or more of gross family income.

Other qualifications include having issues with their current housing situations ranging from structural defects, water damage, pests, mold, inadequate insulation, antiquated wiring, lead, asbestos, or living in unsafe neighborhoods. The program is available to first-time homeowners only.

Households are selected without respect to race, color, national origin, disability, age, ancestry, children, familial status, genetic information, marital status, public assistance, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran/military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

The idea behind SSHH is that families living in a Habitat home with an affordable mortgage at or below 30 percent of their annual income have the ability to save more, invest in education, and have more financial stability -- which can lead to better jobs and health and an opportunity for a better future. SSHH provides financial training for the new homeowners.

Habitat houses remain affordable in perpetuity through deed restrictions.

"There are many truly worthy causes to donate time and money to, but the Habitat mission has always resonated with me, with a stable housing situation being able to transform the lives of a family," Saleski said. "Of course, here in Hingham, everyone understands what is going on with the price of housing. It's nearly impossible for a family with modest income to enter this market with a goal of home ownership. This makes programs like Habitat even more important to support now, and we have a special opportunity to add two new attractive, affordable houses to Hingham."

As background, Town Meeting 2014 voters authorized the Select Board to acquire the roughly one-acre property with one existing house -- which was offered to the town as part of a 40B comprehensive permit application. The property was deeded to the Trust by the Select Board.

After completing the permitting required for a “friendly” 40B, the Trust conveyed the property to Habitat in October 2021.

"Next, the Housing Trust was pleased to endorse Habitat’s successful 2022 application for a Community Preservation grant in the amount of $166,800 to support direct construction costs," Farrell said.

Lastly, the Housing Trust used $25,000 of a prior Community Preservation award as a grant to Habitat to support installation of sidewalks at the Whiting Street development, helping Habitat to meet a requirement of its comprehensive permit.

"While Habitat has completed several home ownership projects in Hingham, this is the first with the Hingham Affordable Housing Trust’s involvement," Farrell explained.

So far, the existing house -- which was not salvageable -- has been taken down and 2,000 cubic yards of soil removed as part of the site preparation. "Boston Golf Club across the street will be using the soil," Lyons noted.

Applications and related details will be available in June at www.sshabitat.org/homes. The family partners will be announced in September," Tompkins said.

If interested in volunteering to help build the two Hingham homes, email Danielle Buote at dbuote@sshabitat.org.

"It's been many years since the last Habitat house was built in Hingham, and I remember organizing some volunteer teams from my church, neighbors, and friends at that time," Saleski recalled. "It was so much fun to work together as a team during the build process, often working alongside the future homeowners. And I will never forget the homeowner’s joy during move-in day and how thankful they were to have the opportunity of home ownership. I can’t wait to help out with these new homes, and my friends should be expecting calls from me soon!"