LYNWOOD — Habitat for Humanity organizers got a New Year’s surprise Tuesday night when more than 400 people packed Bateman Hall for the nonprofit’s first orientation meeting of 2010.

According to Magna Viteri-Bahm, Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A. Area’s director of family services, Habitat and the city of Lynwood has held dozens of orientation meetings within the last three to four years, and never has there been a response such as Tuesday night’s.

“It was a complete surprise,” Viteri-Bahm said. “This time, we were able to open up the qualifications for the Lynwood homes for the general public.”

Habitat’s partnership with Lynwood for several years has required that families who qualify for homes must be Lynwood residents or work in the city of Lynwood. That restriction was lifted, Viteri-Bahm said.

A joint marketing effort between Habitat and the city also contributed greatly to Tuesday night’s huge response, said Jo-An Turman, senior director of marketing and communications for Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A.

“We’ve had several orientations like this in the city before, but the response has never been this great,” Turman said. “We believe that the joint marketing effort made a huge difference.”

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles strives to eliminate poverty housing through advocacy, education and partnership with families in need to build simple, decent affordable housing. Since 1990, the organization has built and renovated more than 600 homes in the Southland.

In Lynwood, Habitat and the city have built and renovated nearly 25 homes, some of which have been built from scratch.

Habitat for Humanity makes homeownership possible for families earning less than 80 percent of the median household income. Habitat partner families must pay back a zero interest loan and agree to give 500 hours of “sweat equity” building theirs and other homes.

Homeowner orientations are the first step in the application process and are mandatory.

Part of the partnership with Lynwood is that families selected for the homes must be longtime residents of the city or employees here. But because one of the projects lies on the border of Lynwood and Compton, the city agreed to lift the restriction.

Viteri-Bahm said she usually meets between 20 to 30 people at such meetings.
But as Tuesday night’s City Council meeting was going on at City Hall, many people stuck their heads inside asking where Bateman Hall was.

Another meeting is set for Saturday at Bateman Hall. Only 10 families will be selected for the homes being built or renovated in Lynwood.

“A lot of these families will qualify, but only 10 families will be chosen,” Viteri-Bahm said. Families that aren’t selected but still qualify will be considered for other projects under the Habitat umbrella.

“Selected will be those with the highest needs, but others will be put into consideration for other projects in the future,” Viteri-Bahm said.

So far, Habitat’s and the city of Lynwood’s partnership have built and or renovated 11 homes in the vicinity of the city. The partnership is currently working on 13 other homes, which are slated to be completed within the next year. Three of those homes have already designated families who qualified previously.

While living or working in Lynwood is not at this moment among the requirements to qualify for the Habitat program, the other requirements still stand. Applicants must have an actual need. An applicant will be considered if their present housing is not adequate to live in and adequate housing cannot be acquired through current conventional means.

Overcrowding concerns will also be taken into consideration. Neighborhood conditions that are dangerous due to drugs, gang activity or high crime will also be given consideration.

If selected, homeowners will be required to pay a $1,000 deposit that will be used as a down payment or for closing costs before moving in.

The last criteria will be the willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity.

The program is not for everyone, Viteri-Bahm said.

“We are not a conventional lender,” she said adding that some people come in thinking they will be able to buy a home. “It’s not like that at all. … Time is very precious. Applicants have to be willing to put in the time and effort into building their home and the homes of their neighbors. Applicants are required to put in at least 500 hours of sweat equity. … They have to help put in their own roof, put up their own walls, hammering, painting, etc. and not just on their own home.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Viteri-Bahm said the most common concern she heard was that people had lost their homes due to bad loans and were looking for a fresh start.

“A lot of these people lost their homes to the foreclosure crisis,” she said. “What we saw here was that a lot of these people wanted a fresh start. They are not looking for charity, they’re just looking for a little help, and Habitat is able to do that.”

Federal home funds are allowing the city of Lynwood to partner with Habitat. Funds being used in the partnership are not coming out of the city’s general fund, said Ernie Nishii, Lynwood’s housing manager.

The money being used for these homes, which at times fall in the range of $50,000, is money that was given to the city from the federal government.

“These funds allow cities like Lynwood to take old, abandoned homes and empty lots, which are usually magnets for crime, and rehabilitate them and turn them into beautiful homes for low-income families,” he said.

Aside from their partnership with Lynwood, Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A. also has partnerships with Long Beach, Burbank, Wilmington and Downey.

Viteri-Bahm meets dozens of families who qualify for the program, but when one is selected, the feeling she gets is indescribable, she said.

“We’re changing their lives,” she said. “These people aren’t asking for free homes, they’re just asking for help, and we’re able to give them some hope and stability.”

Viteri-Bahm said that when families regain the stability of having their own homes, it gives them security, it gives them the sense that they can accomplish anything that comes their way, and people tend to go back to school, get better jobs and their children get better grades.

She sees it happen all of the time, she said.

For applications, interested families may attend the second orientation slated for Bateman Hall, 11330 Bullis Road, at noon Saturday. Interested applicants are required to attend at least one orientation meeting in order to receive an application.