Habitat for Humanity to launch third building project in Gallup

Harry and Emma Thompson help tear down an old fence on a vacant lot on Gallup's north side on Saturday. The Thompsons and their six children have been selected to be the third local family to partner with Habitat for Humanity of Gallup. [Courtesy Photo]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Harry and Emma Thompson are looking forward to the time when all six of their children can live together under one roof.

The couple's three oldest children ages 14, 12, and 11 are currently attending boarding school because the family's low income housing authority has said the Thompsons have more children than can be allowed in their cramped housing.

But the Thompsons are dreaming of the day when they will be able to move all their children into their new, four-bedroom house, a home they are beginning to work toward building with the assistance of Habitat for Humanity of Gallup. The family is the third local family selected by Habitat to help build a home with their own "sweat equity."

How long it takes Habitat to move the family into the home remains to be seen.

"Our goal is to finish a house in a year," said JoAnn Benenati, the new president of the local Habitat affiliate. However, Benenati concedes the last Habitat home in Gallup, which features the same floor plan the Thompsons selected, took the organization 21 months to complete.

Habitat's operation in Gallup has always been precariously dependent on financial donations and volunteer workers.

"We have enough money to start, but we don't have enough to finish," said former Habitat president Audrey Schuurmann, who oversaw the construction of Gallup's first Habitat home.

"Money is always a situation," agreed Benenati. Members of the Gallup affiliate spend a lot of time praying and fund-raising as well as building, she added.

Benenati, Schuurmann, the Thompsons, and a small crew of volunteers spent Saturday afternoon tearing down an old fence on the north side vacant lot where the Thompson's house will be built.

Benenati said Habitat for Humanity of Gallup now does have a small monthly income from the mortgage payments of the first two completed houses. However, she explained, because the home loans are interest free and a portion of the mortgage payments goes to taxes and insurance, the monthly income from the houses is only several hundred dollars.

Benenati is hoping a newly obtained storage site in Gallup will help the construction move more quickly for the Thompson's house. Previously, she said, the group didn't have a permanent storage site; so construction had to wait until needed building materials were ordered and delivered. Now with the storage site, Habitat can order building materials in advance and store them until needed.

The City of Gallup donated the land where the Thompson's house will be built. After encountering some local opposition to a former playground site in the Indian Hills area, both the city and Habitat have backed away from that initial plan for now.

The donated land on Gallup's north side, said Benenati, is comprised of "four skinny lots" that make up an odd-shaped piece of land that is split diagonally by a steep hill. The Thompson's home will be built on top of the hill, where High Street dead-ends with Wilson Avenue. Habitat officials hope to eventually build a narrow two-story house at the bottom of the hill, where High Street intersects with Pershing Avenue.

Based on Habitat's experience with its first two houses in Gallup, the organization will continue to build the most energy efficient houses it can, said Habitat board director Bill Bright. According to Bright, the second Habitat homeowner, whose four bedroom home is located on West Wilson, only had a $20 gas bill for the month of December.

One of the reasons Habitat builds energy efficient houses, Bright explained, is to make the monthly utility bills affordable for the low-income homeowners. He contrasted that policy to some regional low-income housing that was built with little insulation and with electrical heating systems. Although the rents may be inexpensive, he said, tenants can't afford to pay their high winter utility bills.

Habitat officials hope the official groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled in the next few weeks. Benenati said community members can help the project now by signing up to volunteer as either skilled or unskilled workers, making a financial donation to the project, or donating new or used building materials. Although Habitat can only use new materials in the project, she explained, used building materials are sold at fund raiser garage sales.

Harry Thompson admitted he "can't wait" to start building his home. Thompson, who works as a buffer at First American Traders, said he was eager to begin working on the home for his children, who range in age from three to 14 years of age, and he expressed appreciation to Habitat for selecting his family.