Local
mom getting new home thanks to Habitat for Humanity
by Brian DiTullio
CAVE
CREEK – While Jeralee Maynard still is in disbelief
over receiving a new home, her four‑year‑old
son wonders whether there is enough wood.
Maynard,
24, has spent the last several years running the numbers
through her head and always
coming up short when it came to buying her first home.
Then, shortly before the birth of her son, her grandmother,
a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, told her about
the
program
that gives people who qualify a new home. About four
months ago, Maynard, who works for a real estate office
in New River, became more interested in the project.
“I
didn’t think I’d ever qualify, but I kept my eye on
it,” said Maynard.
Maynard’s
father, Steve Maynard, a firefighter in Cave Creek,
then told her about a meeting for the new home and encouraged
her to attend.
“I
thought it was a waste of time,” she said. “There was
no way we were going to qualify for this.
”To qualify for home, the applicant must be able to
pass a basic credit check and prove they have a need
for simple, decent adequate housing, according to Linda
Raish, development director
for HFH Desert Foothills. The applicant also must be
able to pay for Habitat housing as well as meeting their
other expenses. Finally, the applicant must be willing
to partner with HFH in building the home.
