Families move into newest Habitat house
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
There are two happy families on Saratoga Lane this month. At the beginning of February, Meredith Martin and her son, and Berta Scott and Bill Mogensen and their children moved into the island's second Habitat for Humanity house, technically considered the second and third because it is a duplex.

Bill Mogensen & Berta Scott with their children Levi, 2, and Anya, 5, settle into their new home on Saratoga Lane ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent

"The families are excited to be in and we're very happy to have them there," said Habitat Nantucket's board president Jessie Glidden. "It's a very long process. Essentially, we can only work on Saturdays [because most of the construction crew are volunteers], so it was two and a-half years of Saturdays."

The duplex, designed by Mickey Rowland, is on a quiet, little-traveled way between Vestal and Milk streets on land leased from the Nantucket Housing Authority for 99 years with a 50-year renewal option, the same situation as with Habitat's first home on Norquarta Drive completed in 2004. In each case, the nonprofit, international organization helped the tenants obtain their mortgages covering purchase prices kept at just the cost of cash outlays for materials and labor. Qualified applicants are required to put in 350 hours of "sweat equity" as their down payment, something Martin has found satisfying.

"Walking on the floors we helped nail down is cool," said Martin, a single mother whose son is a high school senior. "I love it. It's a gift and a real leg up. I wish this happened 10 years ago. I don't think it's hit me yet. I'm sure when I get my first water bill it will hit me, but it's great. Being here for all these years and seeing people leave - now this is my house. We've lived in cramped quarters for so long. It's a great feeling and Habitat is a really great thing. I feel very fortunate and I'm very grateful."

Recognizing the scope of the island's affordable housing crisis and hoping to assist more families to stay in the community, Habitat for Humanity Nantucket is searching for property where it can build another home. Glidden said anyone with potential leads on available land may call the organization's office and ask for Doug Unruh who is in charge of site selection. Morgensen is deeply thankful for the opportunity to stay on Nantucket.

"We've moved around a number of times," said Mogensen, whose children are five and two years old. The couple was on the verge of leaving for the mainland when they found out that they qualified for a Habitat home. "The residence we had before this was a tiny, twobedroom garage apartment. This is certainly perfect in size. The upstairs lends itself so that each of the kids can have a bedroom. We're going to fix up the basement with a ping pong table for the kids. The location is wonderful. It's a four minute bike ride to town."

To qualify for a Habitat house, an applicant's present living situation must be dire and a minimum of one year's residency on the island is required. Applicants must meet minimum and maximum income guidelines and demonstrate stable employment. Chosen families may live in their homes for their lifetime or pass on the home to their children; however, no one in the family may sell a Habitat house without first offering it to the organization or selling it at a Habitat formula price reflecting the current affordable rate.

Habitat for Humanity Nantucket's office number for more information on applying for housing or to

discuss vacant land for its next project is 325-8912. I