Self Help Housing

Self Help Housing of East Texas

Self Help Housing of East Texas is a 501(c)3 Texas non-profit corporation that assists low income families obtain affordable housing. Since Rita, SHHET has been instrumental in repairing and repairing homes throughout northern Jasper and Newton Counties.

Many of our projects are accomplished with various partners. For example, much skilled construction labor is provided by the Mennonite Disaster Service. The "Mennonite Disaster Service is a volunteer network through which various constituencies of the Anabaptist church can respond to those affected by disasters in Canada and the United States." Their website is at http://www.mds.mennonite.net. Project descriptions include information regarding our partners and supporters.

We have obtained grants and funding from a variety of faith based and non-profit organizations.

	Self Help Housing of East Texas (SHHET) held its first construction meeting on Monday October 22 with 2 out of the seven current applicants that will be building a home with SHHET. The meeting consisted of personnel from SHHET, Sabrina Glenn, Rural Development Manager with the United States Department of Agriculture/Rural Development (USDA/RD), and applicants Melissa Fowler and Vicki and Mildred Dagley. USDA/RD assists applicants in getting low cost, low interest loans for home building. SHHET will manage the home building projects. Construction on the first house should start within 3-4 weeks which will be in Jasper; the next house will in Newton. SHHET is still working on getting funding to help remaining Hurricane Rita victims rehabilitate their homes by partnering with various organizations such as the USDA/RD, Rita Recovery, The Mennonite Disaster Service, Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church Permanent Endowment Fund, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, and other non-profit and faith based organizations. Volunteer labor is welcome. SHHET is a 501(c)3 Texas non-profit corporation that assists low income families build and pay for their own homes. The methodology is to help several families work together to provide the joint labor for construction. Self Help supplies the necessary training and help to obtain low interest loans that the clients can afford to pay. Their office is located on the town square in Newton. SHHET is prepared to provide assistance to others in need of housing and/or housing repairs as a result of Rita damage. If anyone is interested please call the office at 409-379-4665.
	Our clients are from left to right, Melissa Fowler, Vicki and Mildred Dagley.

	Melissa Fowler reviews construction plans with Shelly Haynes, Executive Director of SHHET and Sabrina Glenn of the USDA.
	SHHET also facilitated an orientation on October 22, 2007, for 3 of our clients by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA/RD). This orientation is part of the USDA’s Mutual Self-Help Housing Program (Section 523) that provides grants to local nonprofit groups, which supervise teams of lower income families who provide more than half of the labor to build their own homes. This “sweat equity” significantly reduces the purchase price. Participating families typically finance their homes through a Section 502 direct-homeownership loan. Sabrina Glenn, Rural Development Manager for the USDA explained the process to applicants being assisted by SHHET. The meeting consisted of personnel from SHHET, Sabrina Glenn, and applicants David Carnley and Twilly Brown.

	Twilly Brown, David Carnley, and another client review the Self Help process with Sabrina Glenn

	Kim Poplin, office manager of SHHET, watches as Twilly Brown and David Carnley sign documents verifying that they have been oriented on the self help process.