FLORENCE, Colo. (KOAA) — Families who live in Florence say they are turning to a federal assistance program for a chance at homeownership, but there's a catch, they have to help build the homes themselves.
“Knowing nothing about construction to being able to build the house,” said Homeowner Amber Vahlsing.
That learning came with heavy equipment and skills she never imagined having.
“I didn’t know how to read a tape measure," said Vahlsing.
Vahlsing didn’t just move into a home. She helped build it herself through a decades-old federal assistance known as the Self-Help Housing Program.
The program is designed to help low-income families achieve homeownership by putting in the work themselves.
For Vahlsing, that meant building not just any house, but a home for her family.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the median home price in Fremont County is about $312,000. Homes built through the Self-Help Housing Program cost just over $257,000, and once construction is complete, families own them.
Here’s how it works. Local partners, such as the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments (UAACOG), own the land. Families apply for the program and qualify for USDA funding.
“We look at bank statements, credit scores. We make sure everything is right,” said Justin Crow, construction supervisor with UAACOG. “We get them qualified.”
Once approved, families begin building their homes side by side.
“Homeowners do 60% of the work,” explained Crow. “That 60% becomes their down payment and equity toward the house.”
Although the program has existed for decades, Crow says it’s more critical now than ever as housing prices continue to rise.
“With prices of houses now, it’s going to be really hard for people to get into a home, especially a brand new home,” he said.
For families like the Vahlsing's, the program offers a path forward.
“We’ve been through a lot,” said Vahlsing. “Having a roof over our heads every day. It’s just easy now. I don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”
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