Harbor Habitat for Humanity Takes on Its First Renovation of an Existing Home in Benton Harbor

When Alica Isom applied for a house with Harbor Habitat for Humanity in May, the organization asked her to take a look at a place no one wanted: a dilapidated, boarded-up house covered with graffiti on Agard Avenue in Benton Harbor.

Isom decided to take the plunge, and construction on the building was kicked off Tuesday. The house will be the first that Harbor Habitat will renovate rather than build from scratch.

Standing near the gutted structure on Tuesday, Isom said she has faith that Harbor Habitat will bring the house up to snuff. She said she hopes she and her two daughters will be able to move in before Thanksgiving.

“It will be a real big push” to finish the house by then, said Nick Pampalone, the site supervisor for Harbor Habitat.

But if Harbor Habitat can do it on time and under budget, it could mean a new direction for the organization. Pampalone said that in two years the organization may be doing renovations exclusively. On the other hand, the Agard Avenue home may turn out to have been the organization’s first and last renovation.

Ideally, rehabilitating a house rather than building it from scratch should reduce costs by about 30 to 40 percent, Pampalone said. But problems could crop up that force Harbor Habitat over budget or past its construction time line.

Because it’s the organization’s first attempt, it’s difficult to know, Pampalone said.

“This is our big experiment,” Pampalone said.

But it’s an experiment that Pampalone thinks will yield results and likely lead to more renovations, he said.

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/07/13/local_news/5626897.txt