Construction is getting underway today (Tuesday) on a four-day volunteer project in central Iowa that will eventually become homes for six families in three side-by-side-by-side Tudor-style duplexes. Danny Akright (ACK-rite), spokesman for Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, says an anonymous donor who put up the seed money for the project wanted to honor Pope Leo, the first American to head of the Catholic Church.
Most Habitat projects are single-family homes that are built one at a time amidst existing homes in a neighborhood, which makes this effort to construct a trio of large duplexes all in a row so unusual.
Professionals will be brought in over the coming weeks to install the electrical systems, the plumbing and the H-VAC. Habitat is dedicated to bringing in volunteers to do the heavy lifting — and the lighter chores, too.
The Greater Des Moines chapter is scheduled to build between 45 and 50 homes in the metro this year, which would be a new all-time high.
The first Pope Leo Village homebuyers should close on the purchase of their homes next spring. Ackright says each house will be purchased with an affordable, Habitat mortgage, ensuring that the new homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment is no more than 30 percent of their income.
