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Pride Homes Builds for Habitat for Humanity
Accessibility Easier than it Looks

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Pride Homes Builds for Habitat for Humanity

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HURRICANE - Heather Hinostroza struggled to hold back tears as she looked out toward her husband, her children and the several dozen people gathered in the garage and front lawn of her new home on Feb. 25.

It would be the first lawn her children ever had. And the happy tears she tried to stifle showed just how grateful she was to Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah and the several other organizations that made owning a home a reality for her and her family.

"It's so much more than we expected," she said. "I'm never going to move again. I look forward to my grandchildren visiting here."

Since moving to Utah from Southern California several years ago, the Hinostrozas have been staying in a small, two-bedroom apartment in St. George. The space may have been cramped, but the family had no way of affording a house of their own. With nowhere else to turn, they sought out Habitat.

The result was the 15th Habitat home constructed in Washington County. Built with the help of Jay Bradley of Pride Homes Inc. and sponsored by the Washington County Board of Realtors, the 1,452 square-foot, three-bedroom home will be purchased by the Hinostrozas with a non-profit, no interest loan.

Washington County Board of Realtors President Kathy Nielsen said the Hinostroza's home is the third home her organization secured financing for. Much of that financing, she said, comes from grants, but that's not the only source.

"Part of our funds comes from agents donating a portion of their commissions," she said. "It truly is the Realtor family."

They may be getting a no interest loan, but the Hinostrozas definitely had to earn their home. After being selected through a rigorous selection process, the family then had to perform 500 sweat equity hours as a requirement to become the home's owners.

Heather Hinostroza's husband Alan said it was a rewarding experience.

"It's been a lot of hard work," he said. "The kids have gone without some things to get here. ... We'll be able to get back to some normalcy."

Since 1976 Habitat has provided housing for more than 1 million people throughout the world. Southwest Utah Board President Linda Sappington said recent economic troubles may have made it harder to operate, but that doesn't mean the organization isn't still trying to change lives.

"We'd like to be building more houses," she said. "But we're moving forward on a lot of new things."

Alan Hinostroza said he's also excited to move forward. With a larger space for his family, his children will finally be able to take full advantage of their childhood.

"It was almost like being in timeout in that other place," he said of the family's soon to be vacated apartment.

"Now they'll get to spread their wings."

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

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Accessibility Easier than it Looks

WASHINGTON - Most people look at square footage, number of bedrooms, kitchen space and curb appeal when looking for a house, but for people with disabilities, there are other practicalities to consider.

Finding a wheelchair accessible home can be difficult, and that was the point for a set of demonstrators at one of the homes showcased as part of the St. George Area Parade of Homes this week, who were trying to emphasize how easy it is to build an accessible home.

Talking to people about accessibility at the "Peaceful Pine View" home this week, Don Gordon, a Volunteer in Service to America said building an accessible home costs, on average, only $46 more during construction than a standard home. Some of the features, like wider doorways and lever door handles, can actually be less expensive than the typical design, while things like grab bars and an easy access sink are easy to install when they're part of the plan, Gordon said.

To come back in and make the changes later? About $28,000, he said.

That's the reasoning behind the push for "visitability," or universal design, which would create homes that suit accessibility needs without expensive upgrades. The homes can be used by an owner with a disability, to host people with disabilities, or in the event the owner ends up with a disability down the line, said Garry Owens, executive director of the Red Rock Center for Independence, a local nonprofit organization that works with people with disabilities.

"There's going to be a circumstance where some day you're going to need it," he said.

When done right, a home's accessibility can be almost impossible to notice for people who don't recognize the signs, Owens said, pointing out that a number of people had come through the home without noticing its accessibility features.

"It flows," said Yvonne Rossi, who walked through the home Tuesday. "You can't even tell that there's a difference there."

The home's builder, Jay Bradley, with Pride Homes Inc., said accessibility is mostly a matter of wider doors and hallways, with hard surface floors and no steps, which is simple to design and build.

Owens said the design process also doesn't involve additional cost, because most architects are required to know accessible design as part of their training.

"All they're doing is incorporating what they already know about accessibility," he said.

The home's owner, Robert Craw, said he was looking forward to moving into a house without stairs, and with his specific needs in mind, after years of living in a standard home in Minersville.

The home features smaller wheelchair-friendly items like a closet without a door and a lower microwave, as well.

"I haven't moved in yet, but I'm going to find that out," he said. "I think it'll be really nice."

Info Box:On the Web

For more information on accessible home designs, visit www.accessiblehome.org.

To learn more about the Red Rock Center for Independence, visit www.rrci.org.

Get more on Pride Homes at www.pridehomesinc.com.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.