Woodmen Vistas - Update on New Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity Neighborhood in N/E Colorado Springs, CO

This is an update to my previous post: New Habitat for Humanity Neighborhood at N. Powers Blvd. and E. Woodmen Rd. (Colorado Springs, CO).

Today, while running a few business related errands with my youngest son, he fell asleep. So, I decided that this would be a great time to drive by the proposed Woodmen Vistas to get a visual of where this new neighborhood would actually be. Of course, it is still only one very large mound of dirt.

On my way home, I decided to call Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity (PPHFH) and find out ALL the details surrounding this new neighborhood in NE Colorado Springs. I spoke with Aimee Liotino - Volunteer Coordinator. I told her that I was interested in learning more about the new Woodmen Vistas neighborhood and she suggested that I speak with Paul Johnson - the Executive Director for the Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity. Since he was in a meeting, she took down my information so that he could call me back when he had some time to answer my myriad of questions. Aimee was one of the friendliest people I have spoken with over-the-phone in a long time. How refreshing. (If you are interested in volunteering for the PPHFH, she would be the one to talk to: 719-475-7800)

Within the hour I received a call from Paul Johnson. He was able to effectively and comprehensively answer all of my questions regarding the Woodmen Vistas and PPHFH in general. He was friendly, helpful and extremely patient to my series of questions. Of course, anything can change between now and the completion of the neighborhood, but I did get some valuable insight to the plans for Woodmen Vistas. Here is what I learned from my conversation with Mr. Johnson:

• Woodmen Vistas will consist of about 10 acres and 67 home sites. This land will be combination effort of two organizations: Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity and Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust.
• Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust will have the other 5 acres and have various plans for that land that include:
  
  • 11 Low Income Houses for families living at or below 80% of the City's mean income. These homes will be mortgaged for the amount of the home only - not the land that it sits on.
  • Moving in 5 pre-existing homes to Woodmen Vistas
  • Possible sale of several lots to other home builders
    
• Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity will have about 5 of those acres dedicated to homes for families living at or below 50% of the city's mean income.
  • These homes will be developed, built and mortgaged by PPHFH.
  • Families that qualify for a PPHFH Home will help build the home and will get a zero-interest mortgage for the appraised value of the home, but only be held to the actual COST of the home. This means that if the home COST $100,000 to build and it appraised at $200,000, the purchase price would be $200,000 but the homeowner would only make payments on a $100,000 zero-interest loan. Once the $100,000 was paid off the remaining difference between the appraised value and COST would be forgiven.
    This ensures that the homeowner would remain a homeowner and for neighboring appraisal purposes, market value would be retained.
  • A family that owns a PPHFH home would not be able to sell the home for a profit at any point. If, for some reason, the homeowner HAD to sell the home, PPHFH would have 1^st Right of Refusal. The mission of PPHFH is for low income families to reap the benefits of home ownership - not to exploit the purpose of PPHFH for monetary gain. In fact, over 98% of all Habitat for Humanity Homeowners remain in their home and never sell.
• Woodmen Vistas WILL have an HOA. Plans are in place that would have the HOA maintain the front yards, take care of the trash removal. These plans are still being drafted.
• All the streets in Woodmen Vistas will be city streets and maintained by the City of Colorado Springs.
• Children living in Woodmen Vistas would attend Academy School District 20 Schools.
• PPHFH plans to "break ground" in Spring 2008. (Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust may begin earlier than that.)
• If all goes as planned, the new Woodmen Vistas neighborhood will be complete by 2011.
• This neighborhood will be the largest PPHFH development to this date.

This is an awesome opportunity for lower income families to learn and LOVE the benefits and PRIDE of home ownership.

If you would like to live in Woodmen Vistas and think that you may qualify for a Habitat for Humanity Home, please call the PPHFH Family Services Director, Kim Pattison: 719-475-7800 for details on how to apply.

Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity can only do this with the help of donations, sponsors and volunteers.

• If you are interested in donating, they are always in need of QUALITY BUILDING SUPPLIES.
• If you are interested in sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity home, the sponsor fee is about $55,000 per house. Local real estate companies, churches and other coalitions have co-sponsored several homes in Colorado Springs already, but there is always need for more sponsors.
• If you are interested in volunteering, PPHFH is in great need of a Licensed Labor force: Electricians, Plumbers, Cement and Curb pourers, and laborers for ditching among others are in high demand.

Please contact the Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity main office: 719-475-7800 for more information on how YOU can help Woodmen Vistas become a reality.

(Logo courtesy of http://www.pikespeakhabitat.org/)