Habitat for Humanity looking to open chapter in Niverville

Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is looking to open a chapter in Niverville to help build homes in the community.

“It actually started a few months ago. So, as you’re aware, we don’t currently have a functioning chapter in the Southeast area. And so, we’d really like to have some chapters building in that area of the province…So, now I’m in the stage of trying to find people who would be interested on coming on to the committee to start up a chapter,” said Christina Falk, manager of chapter support for Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

Falk said she has been in contact with some members of the community, including Mayor Myron Dyck, who is excited about a Habitat chapter opening up in town. He said there is a need in Niverville for Habitat as there is a shortage of affordable housing.

“I believe that there are people in communities throughout our province that would really appreciate the opportunity to have their own home. Habitat for Humanity offers a very realizable way of people being able to have their own home,” said Dyck.

Dyck mentioned a number of initiatives council has taken to address affordable housing, including reviewing the federal government’s Build Canada Homes plan, working with developers, and allowing for micro-suites which are between 275 sq.ft. and 400 sq.ft. The average home price in Niverville is $400,000.

To start a chapter, Habitat needs five people but prefers 10. The committee would consist of a chair, a secretary, a treasurer, and heads of different subcommittees, such as fundraising, family selection, building committee, and a volunteer coordination committee.

The committee would set its own pace and hours, but it will have to follow Habitat’s policies, some of which include building standards, family selection, and to recognize that Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is the umbrella organization where major decisions that the committee makes go through that office for approval.

Falk said the organization is looking for a variety of people, hopefully with community connections, to sit on the committee. While she encourages all to apply, Falk said natural born leaders, business people, trades people, and people who work in social services are encouraged to join.

“We need people from all walks of life in the community,” she said.

Habitat used to have a chapter covering the Southeast, an unusual model, from 1998 to 2023. Usually, Habibat has a group of volunteers from a community of at least 2,500 people that focuses on building in that community. The Southeast chapter was different in that it wasn’t a group that ran it but two people, who had people in multiple communities in the Southeast who would find families for the builds, which were done by contractors rather than community members. Fundraising was done all over the Southeast.

During the 35 years that the Southeast chapter was active, 19 homes were built. The last home built under this model was in 2023 in Landmark.

The Habitat committee for Niverville will only be covering Niverville builds.

Once the committee is formed and hours are decided upon, Falk said it can start fundraising.

“I think the biggest kind of thing that takes time is that initial fundraising. Because you’re starting from zero and you’re building up the funds that you need to build your first house and get your land and all that kind of thing,” she said, noting she doesn’t believe Niverville will have a problem with fundraising efforts as it is a generous community.

Falk said fundraising takes time. It costs about $250,000 (depending on building costs and excluding the land price) to build a Habitat home right now in Manitoba.

Falk will hold an information session sometime around the end of April. She hasn’t set a date yet, but she is encouraging anyone who is interested in joining to email her at cfalk@habitat.mb.ca with “Niverville Interest” in the subject line. The deadline for emails is March 31. Should there be enough people interested in creating a chapter, Falk will then set a date for the information session.

Habitat for Humanity was established in Manitoba in 1987 as a not-for-profit housing organization. It has built more than 500 homes across the province and into Kenora, Ont. Last year, Habitat built 29 homes in Manitoba, the most of any year, and this year they’re projecting to build 31 houses.