Habitat director speaks on housing market challenges
Amid a difficult housing market both nationally and locally, Clinch River Habitat for Humanity Director Charlotte Bowers says local organizations are working together.
“It’s like everything’s just piling in at one time on people, and it’s next to impossible,” she said. “We’re getting constant phone calls.”
With this high volume, Bowers said Habitat is working with other organizations like Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties and the federal government-affiliated Oak Ridge Housing Authority, both also involved in homebuilding.
“There’s such a need,” she said. “None of us can do but so much at a time.”
Bowers stressed the importance of her own organization, given the situation.
The organization works on building houses for people within the 60% to 80% median-income range for the area with mortgages that aim to be affordable for them.
“Any of the Habitat houses right now have become extremely important because we sell the houses for the appraised value, but we are able to structure the mortgages so that it’s affordable,” Bowers said.
“And right now, as you know, mortgages have become unaffordable for low- to moderate-income families.”
