Habitat for Humanity dedicates latest house to single mother in Ypsilanti

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley will dedicate its latest home, the Ferrantino House, to an Ypsilanti family at 2 p.m. February 3, at 1314 Rue Willette, Ypsilanti.

"I'm actually the first person in my family to own a home in my own name," she said. "This is very exciting for my family and myself. My kids are very excited."

Tooson applied for a Habitat home last April. After she was accepted into the program, she, like all Habitat homeowners, had to attend 25 hours worth of home ownership classes and donate 200 hours of "sweat equity" into her future home and other homes that Habitat was renovating.

"I'm well-educated on how the home ownership works because of Habitat," she said. "I've learned a lot of things doing construction on other habitat homes."

Maggie Porter, development director for Habitat, said Tooson has given a lot to the project.

“She’s a great mom working really hard and sacrificing a lot to make sure her kids can have the best future she can provide for them," she said.

Porter said, depending on family size, people who apply for a Habitat house must earn between 30 to 60 percent of area median hourly income, which Porter says is $12 to $18 in the Washtenaw County area.

Though she was unable to provide exact details, Porter estimated the home was purchased by Habitat for roughly $40,000 and will sell for about $100,000.

"Every family that comes through our program buys the homes from habitat," she said. "We like to say it’s a hand-up, not a handout."

Tooson will sign a zero-interest mortgage for the house roughly two weeks after the dedication on Feb. 3.

Porter said the Ferrantino Foundation was the primary sponsor for Tooson's home.

"They were connected to us and pretty passionate about our family as well," she said.

Additionally, Porter said many community members and organizations donated time and materials to the home renovation.

"It’s really amazing how much the community comes together to support what we do," she said.

Porter said all Habitat homes also are renovated to Energy Star standards thanks to appliances donated by Whirlpool, insulation by DOW, and donations from other progressive local businesses.

"It ends up being extra work and extra dollars, but the pay-off ends up being so great in terms of environmental rewards," she said. "We also see that going the extra step means that the property values of the whole community go up as well."