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Southern
Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee, Inc. receives a grant from
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Rural Development Services (RDS) to
administer the Self-Help Technical Assistance Program in Calvert, Charles
and St. Mary's Counties.
Self-Help is a
method of home construction where a group of families assist each other to
build their homes. The families form a labor pool and contribute
approximately 65% of the labor on-site, working under a construction
supervisor provided by SMTCCAC, Inc. Working evenings and
weekends, they perform tasks such as clearing, digging footings, wall
framing, roofing, installing doors and windows, insulation, painting,
siding, cabinets and countertops.
THE
PROCESS
SMTCCAC forms work
groups from a list of RDS eligible families to build homes in the
Tri-County region. Loans are packaged and submitted to the local RDS
office for approval. Construction begins after the loans are approved
and closing dates set.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must:
- Meet RDS income
guidelines.
- Have a good credit
rating.
- Have a low debt load.
- Have repayment ability
based on ratio calculations
Loans
are scheduled for a thirty-three year repayment period. Loans are
closed at the current market rate. However, the actual interest paid
depends on household income and family size. Borrowers may be
eligible for an interest subsidy that can reduce their interest rate to as
low as 1%.
No down-payment or
closing costs are required, although a one year homeowners insurance
policy, paid in full, is required at closing. Loan payments are
deferred until construction is completed, with the first payment due 30
days after completion.
BUILDING
PLANS
House plans are
provided by SMTCCAC. All plans are modestly sized and priced and
approved by the Rural Development Service.
Self-Help
construction works!
- Brawners
Estates - Bryans Road, off Metropolitan Church Rd. in Charles County.
111 single-family homes were constructed. The majority are Self-Help
homes. Head Start is housed in a Community Center whose construction
was partially funded with a Community Development Block Grant. It was
completed in Fall 2000.
- Prince
Frederick Villas II - located in Prince Frederick, Calvert
County. Twelve duplex homes were completed in March
2001.
- Yardley Hills - Thirty-three detached
Self-Help single-family homes have been built in Prince Frederick
near Mason Rd. Another 12
are under construction by the last construction groups. Sixty-four rental town homes have
been completed in this affordable housing community that will eventually
contain another 40 units.
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