3 affordable houses coming to Springfield’s south side

Greg Womacks, NHP executive director, said the organization is now trying to build at least three homes each year for people with moderate to low incomes. This had been reduced with challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the NHP hopes to get back to regularly helping this community.

Kerri Brammer, NHP HomeOwnership Center manager, said while there is an income restriction to qualify for one of the houses, it’s “very liberal.” For example, a single-person household cannot have an income of more than $43,900, while a three-person cannot have more than $56,450 and a six-person household cannot make more than $75,750.

“It’s not what I would consider poverty by any means,” Brammer said.

The project is another piece of several initiatives working to address the housing crisis in Springfield. Local homelessness shelter Sheltered Inc. and Dayton-based nonprofit Homefull are currently working to address short-term homelessness while the city and others work on longer-term affordable housing solutions.

The NHP houses are located on the 700 block of Clifton Avenue, near the Global Impact STEM Academy, on the site of previously vacant lots.

Womacks said these homes appraised at about $145,000. He said helping people to purchase a home helps them improve their “wealth situation” and build equity for their family.

“We’re not anti-rental; if you rent that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person if you’re choosing to rent, but the rents are so high that a mortgage payment is probably less than that,” Womacks said.

Before being allowed to purchase one of these homes, potential owners are required to participate in six total hours of pre-purchase homeownership training, Womacks said. NHP offers two-hour classes in person or online, which can be more convenient for people with children.

The homebuyer also must receive approval from a local bank that meets regulator’s requirements to qualifiy for a mortgage, Brammer said. They are also required to provide documentation of all current household income.

It has been easier to get the work done quickly so far with the houses being so close to one another, Womacks said. Contractors have been able to work on each house in succession.

The homes are open concept, and are from 1,438 to 1,538 square feet. They have large windows, each have a front porch and the homes are built on a slab, so there is little to no step up required.

“When you come in off the alley and you drive up the driveway ... you go into the garage you go into the house. You can literally go to the front porch and you haven’t gone up one step. Everything is just the same level,” project manager James Klay said. “So you get an older person with a walker — or I don’t want to say wheelchair because some of our doorways aren’t for that — but you can come right out on the front porch and sit, and I think it’s great.”