Cheseldine Management Consulting, LLC, is working with Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee, Inc., to implement its Mutual Self Help Housing program at Hunting Creek in St. Mary’s County.
The mutual self help housing program provides lower-income families the opportunity to become homeowners and start building personal wealth through home equity. Most participants in the self help program pay less for their mortgage payments than rent.
Currently, self-help construction is underway on two duplexes in Hunting Creek; an additional 13 duplexes are available for eligible families.
In order to be eligible, families must meet the federally established income criteria, must have good credit and be able to repay the USDA/Rural Development loan, and must work 30 hours each week on building homes.
Although the families obtain mortgage loans through USDA, the cost of the housing is substantially reduced from buying a traditionally built home because the land originally was donated to SMTCCAC – who obtained grants for infrastructure to further reduce the cost to the families – and, more importantly, because the homeowners provide much of the labor for construction.
Families assist each other in constructing all homes in their assigned group, providing approximately 65 percent of the construction labor. Tasks the families complete include clearing, digging footings, framing walls, hanging doors and windows, painting, installing siding and interior trim, roofing, installing cabinets and counter tops, and landscaping.
All activities are performed under the direction of qualified construction supervisors. Trades work, such as plumbing and electric, are contracted to qualified local companies.
CMC provides project oversight, prepares application packages, administers the self help grants, and coordinates construction activities as an agent for SMTCCAC. Interested individuals can contact SMTCCAC at (301) 274-4474 extension 210 or visit www.cheseldine.org/SelfHelp.html to download a preliminary application and view current construction progress photos.
A local firm, Cheseldine Management Consulting, LLC, provides a wide range of management services, including project management, development services, technical assistance, and grants administration. For additional information about CMC, call (301) 475-2272 or email cmc@md.metrocast.net.
