Smith County Habitat for Humanity builds new office to better serve East Texans

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A new office in the design of a home is being built for the Smith County Habitat for Humanity. This office will allow them to serve East Texas better.

Smith County Habitat for Humanity is building a new office building using the floorplan on one of their four bedroom homes. Without closets, it gives them four offices.

CEO of Smith County Habitat for Humanity, Jack Wilson, says this office is necessary based on the need in Smith County.

“We know that there are at least 3,000 seniors that own their own home and live below the poverty level,” says Wilson.

Wilson says at least 10,000 people could qualify to purchase one of their homes based on their income.

Habitat for Humanity aims to remove barriers for low income people looking to become homeowners. They do so by homeowners helping in the construction, among other ways.

In 2009 they started a critical repair program. Wilson says they have done almost 1,500 critical repairs for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.

At least three administrators and the construction manager work on the grants to make it all happen, but now they’ve run out of space.

“We put her out in a storage trailer out in the shop and we have taken over our break room and made an office in there just to have the space that we needed,” says Wilson.

Wilson says in addition to using it as an office, they can use it to show potential donors the quality of the homes they build.

Director of new construction, Jennifer Rosenliev, says since construction started a month ago, framing has been done and they just finished painting. She also says their construction partners give them a break on material costs to help keep costs lower.

“We really search out and try to find people that have a heart for our mission and want to work with us and help us, help us get these houses turned out as quickly as we can so we can get families in them,” says Rosenliev.

Smith County Habitat for Humanity hopes to be in the new office by February of next year.

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