> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Habitat helps house locals
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/habitat-helps-house-locals/
- Published: 2006-09-04T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:22:14.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Real Estate & Housing, Pico, #archive-import

*Five homes built to shelter families*

PICO NEIGHBORHOOD — Low-income residents looking for a permanent place to rest their heads in Santa Monica may be in luck.

Habitat For Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, founded in 1990 to build quality housing for those who are struggling to find shelter, is looking for Santa Monicans suffering from financial hardship to become owners of one of five townhomes at 2018 19th St., currently a vacant lot. The project is a joint housing effort with City Hall.

“The city of Santa Monica approached us with the idea of creating an affordable housing project in which people could own their own homes,” said Erin Rank, president of Habitat For Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. “They had affordable rental programs in place, but never had they done an affordable home ownership program such as this.

“We wanted to partner with them to see if we can make home ownership a reality for someone currently living or working in Santa Monica because we understand that affordability is hard to come by,” Rank added.

City Hall helped Habitat purchase the land for $425,000 three years ago and have been partners in the design process, incorporating environmentally-friendly concepts that use green-building technology, Rank said.

To qualify, a family of four must make no more than $34,650 a year, have a steady source of income and be willing to dedicate 500 hours of “sweat equity” into the construction of their home, Rank said.

Habitat staff is currently hosting a series of orientation meetings (see box for details) where interested parties can learn more about the project and fill out an application to see if they qualify. Rank said staff will be looking for those families who are paying a disproportionate amount of their income on rent, as well as those who live in substandard, dangerous living conditions, which may include no electricity or heat. Those who live in high-crime areas also will be awarded extra consideration, she said.

Those who are chosen will be given a 20-to 30-year mortgage with a 0 percent interest rate. The homes will be sold at cost.

Rank said the development will include four, three-bedroom townhomes and one two-bedroom unit. Two will be equipped for those who suffer from physical disabilities. The project also will include subterranean parking for residents and their guests, a picnic area and a small community center where residents can host meetings of their homeowner’s association.

Those chosen will have to help in the construction, which is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year, perhaps in March, rank said. The final five families will be notified sometime in January or February.

“Habitat seeks to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action in our community by providing home ownership opportunities to families in need,” Rank said. “We are looking for people in substandard living conditions who are interested in getting a hand up, not a hand out and are willing to pay back a mortgage and invest time in building the home so they can give their family a better future.”

Those who do participate will be helping other families as well because their mortgage payments help finance the purchase of additional property, Rank said.

All residents of Santa Monica are encouraged to help with the construction, as well as become mentors for the families, guiding them through the difficult stages of home ownership, Rank said.

‘We really do want the community to be a partner in this,” Rank said.

Since its founding in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat For Humanity has built and rehabilitated more than 150,000 homes across the world, becoming one of the leaders in addressing the issues of poverty. Former President Jimmy Carter helped raise awareness about the organization when in 1984 he and his wife, Rosalynn, took their first Habitat work trip, the Jimmy Carter Work Project, to New York City.

This is Habitat’s first housing venture in Santa Monica.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 4, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090406.pdf?ref=smdp.com)