Three Habitat homes bring families to the Ridge
PARADISE — While the first three Habitat homes to be completed on the Ridge after the Camp Fire prompted a celebration for three families, it was also a celebration for the community. On Saturday, a ribbon-cutting for the three houses celebrated a process that endured for a little over a year.
On Garden View Lane, three families including a man who takes care of his mother who lives with deafness, a single mother with an 11-year-old son and a family who moved from Los Angeles to Chico during the pandemic were presented with gifts from the community including care bags and an American flag presented by Congressman Doug LaMalfa.
“It seems like such a short time ago that I was standing here, where it was almost ready to break ground on these three homes,” said Steve Crowder, mayor of Paradise. “I’m spending a lot of my time welcoming new homeowners and business back to Paradise — which is my favorite thing to do. Iam so proud of this community — people moving back and new people moving in.”
Some families that were that were getting their homes dedicated on Saturday are set to move in as early as Aug. 12.
“These are the first houses that we’ve completed and it has been a long and winding road to get these houses done,” said Nicole Bateman, executive director of Butte Habitat for Humanity. “We’re thankful that the families are here today and that you all are here to celebrate with us.”
The organization is dedicated to build more affordable houses on the ridge, said Bateman. The projects include concrete walls and concrete forms for insulation — a new process for Butte Habitat for Humanity in partnership with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
“Not only are these houses more fire-resistant, but they are super energy-efficient,” said Bateman. “It’s a real plus for the homeowners because these homes will be affordable for them for the long haul because their electricity bills won’t be so high.
The homeowners bought their homes with a $1,000 down payment, hours of sweat equity and with an affordable mortgage.
Jennifer Wolfe and her son Riley Wolfe both grew up in Paradise and were displaced in Chico after the Camp Fire.
“As a future Habitat homeowner, I had to put in 250 sweat equity hours and I was able to get help from family and friends to contribute to some of those hours,” said Wolfe. “To have my family and friends come out and actually build and raise a wall in our home is so meaningful.”
Butte Habitat for Humanity is expecting to complete four more Habitat homes scattered throughout Paradise within the end of the year, with two projected to reach completion in the fall.
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