BURLEIGH — Habitat for Humanity of Cape May County presented the Holly Family of Wildwood with the keys to their new house on Indian Trail Road in a ceremony Saturday Feb. 28 attended by Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Middle Township Mayor F. Nathan Doughty.

The Holleys, Bill and Jackie, and their children Mia, 10, and Billy, 5, were thrilled and thankful for the new home they said they never would have been able to afford on their own.

Rev. Henry Ireland offered a prayer noting it was a house built with love to which many companies and individuals donated materials and labor.

Habitat Construction Committee Chairman Jeff Taylor said the three-bedroom, 1,040 square foot rancher was the first modular home used by the organization. The project began one year ago with a clearing of the lot.
Volunteers worked on such items as dry wall, paint, siding and flooring. A foundation was laid last fall and the home lowered in two sections by a crane.

Habitat for Humanity homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.
Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor, sweat equity, into building their house and the houses of others.

Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price and no interest charged on the mortgage. Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years.

Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate’s family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan.

The house came with some extras including kitchen cabinets stocked with food, quilts, a bed, a Bible and artwork for the children’s rooms.