Habitat for Humanity is asking for rescue funds to help build up Wood County with new homes, offer repair assistance and create a “re-store.”
Mark Ohashi, executive director of Wood County Habitat for Humanity, made a presentation Thursday to the commissioners asking for a share of the county’s $25 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“This is in the midst of a housing crisis as we know it,” Ohashi said. “The need for decent and affordable housing is real here in Wood County.”
He requested $871,280 which will go toward paying the salary of a construction manager, pay for materials and help with land acquisition and prep.
The money will also help start a re-store, which would be a combination Goodwill and Home Depot store, Ohashi said.
It will bring affordable building material into the community. That could include furniture. The public could donate and shop.
“It’s not only a fundraising mechanism for Habitat’s mission, it’s also a service to the community,” Ohashi said.
A one-time startup funding of $50,000 from the commissioners will help get doors open. The total cost to get the re-store open is $125,000, Ohashi said. The store is expected to be profitable after the first year, he said.
The funding proposal also asks for $62,400 to pay the salaries, one time, of two full-time employees at the re-store.
Another part of the request is $30,000 to go toward the $60,000 salary of a construction manager.
The proposal also asks for $74,000 for materials, $30,000 for land acquisition and prep, $36,000 for roof allotment and $18,720 toward a home repair coordinator.
The funding breaks down into $302,120 in year one and $189,720 each in years two, three and four. The total request is $871,280.
The owner-occupied housing value in Wood County is $165,400, Ohashi said. That’s a $1,100 mortgage on a 30-year note, and 40% of monthly income for a $17 an hour worker.
“New construction is out of reach,” he said. “I’ll talk to home builders and they’ll say we just cannot build affordable housing, it’s not profitable.”
The median rent in Ohio is $811, but in Bowing Green and Rossford, it is $1,200 per month and in Northwood it is $1,095 per month.
Ohashi said that 31.4% of renters pay over 35% of monthly income.
Also, much of the affordable housing is not decent or safe. If a nice home is bought, it’s often not financially sustainable, Ohashi said.
A Habitat mortgage is $600 a month on a 30-year note. The group also does financial and homeowner education.
Ohashi said the outcome of this funding will be serving 36 families over four years and the launch of the re-store, plus profits from the store.
COVID has cost Habitat, Ohashi added.
“Corporate sponsorships sunk during the pandemic,” he said. “One of the things that we realized is we need to be self-sustaining.”
In 2021, Habitat had 234 volunteers who contributed 3,000 hours. Homes were done for four families. Two families were assisted with new roofs.
Habitat helped one homeowner put a new bathroom in his home.
“He had been without water for five years, and he was literally fetching water from his neighbor’s house, filling gallon jugs of water that lined his hallway so he could bathe and use the toilet.”
“We’re going to have many proposals to select from,” said Commissioner Doris Herringshaw.
The commissioners have received several requests for the rescue money.
Last week, Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn asked for $3.4 million to improve the county dispatch system, the records management system and the jail management system.
The Village of Pemberville has asked for $4.4 million to replace the downtown water lines.
The Wood County Engineer’s Office has requested $967,500 for new sewer lines in Perrysburg and Lake townships and $394,673 for a countywide lidar and hydrography study.
Last month, the commissioners awarded $800,000 to the Cocoon, a domestic violence shelter in Bowling Green.
The commissioners have agreed to spend $9 million to help with Dunbridge Road improvements and another $320,000 for a sewer project on Sugar Ridge Road. Both were requests from the Northwestern Water and Sewer District.
