For the first time in five years, the Miami University Habitat for Humanity chapter is the primary sponsor for a house project.
Miami's chapter has been working since 2004 to raise $50,000 to donate to the single-story, four bedroom house at 106 Main St. in College Corner, Ohio.
Junior Lauren Schweitzer, publicity co-chair, said the chapter is excited about working on their own project.
"A lot of weekends we go to Richmond, Ind., to help work on houses out there but it's never been work of our own," Schweitzer said. "This is our house. Our chapter can come out here and say, 'We did this.' It makes it really special."
In addition to the Miami Habitat chapter's $50,000 donation, State Farm Insurance awarded the chapter with a $5,000 matching grant March 21 to help pay for fees as well.
However, before any construction could begin, the Miami Habitat chapter and its partner, TriState Habitat for Humanity, faced zoning issues that lasted an "unusual" two years, according to TriState Habitat board member and group leader for the Oxford Habitat for Humanity chapter Jim Lipnickey.
"College Corner is a village, and they developed their own zoning codes, just like how Oxford has their own codes," Lipnickey said. "(The project) didn't come to fruition until recently when we got our building permits two weeks ago (the first week in March)."
The house's foundation was finally set in mid-March, and the Miami students, with a little help in man-power from Oxford's chapter, will begin construction on the house March 27. As for when the home will be ready for its occupants, Lipnickey said it is too soon to tell.
"The work is done by volunteers primarily on the weekends," Lipnickey said. "We hope to have the family in as quickly as possible, but we'll have to take it weekend-by-weekend."
Senior Aaron Loochtan, president of Miami's chapter, said along with this project being a first for his group to primarily sponsor a house in a long time, it is a first for the group to be working with the Oxford chapter since 2005.
"We haven't had a lot of work to do with them (Oxford's chapter)," Loochtan said. "There hasn't been any land or locations."
Lipnickey said the College Corner house project has allowed the Oxford Habitat chapter to work much closer with Miami and gain more volunteers. The Oxford chapter hopes to help build even more homes following the College Corner project, starting a trend of building two to three homes every year versus Oxford chapter's one home every two to three years, Lipnickey said.
"This is the first time the Oxford chapter has gone outside Oxford," Lipnickey said. "We're excited, the village of College Corner is excited and the Miami students are excited. It's always great when you can build another home for a family."
Oxford resident and recipient of the College Corner Habitat for Humanity home, Betty Fisher, said she is happy to be selected to live in the house the community service group is building.
"I'm excited," Fisher said. "It's going to be a big change for us (my family)."
