Cheyenne Credit Unions Creating a Home Ownership Opportunity for a Local Hero through Habitat for Humanity’s Inaugural Veterans Build Project.
Cheyenne, Wyoming: All eight local credit unions have joined forces to make the dream of homeownership a reality for a local veteran. With their support, Habitat was able to purchase a distressed lot in Cheyenne's Historic South Side neighborhood earlier this year. Habitat also received help from Business sponsor Lynn Buys Houses who made the lot available at a discount.
The Partner family selection process is nearly complete and the community will meet the future homeowner soon.
Veteran families, particularly older veterans, often face unique housing challenges. The National Low Income Housing Coalition finds that 24% of households headed by veterans 55 and older are living with housing burdens, paying too much for rent, or living in inadequate or unsafe conditions. Habitat affiliates nationwide are addressing the issue with their Veterans Build program.
Habitat’s Executive Director, Kate Wright has been looking for an opportunity to add a Veterans Build to the affiliate’s schedule. “Cheyenne is an ideal place for a Veterans Build” she said, adding “our community’s strong military culture, and the many veteran families who call Cheyenne home makes the program an excellent fit.”
Local Federal Credit Unions were eager to get involved, noting many of their employees and members are former or active duty military personnel themselves. Blue, Meridian Trust, Western Vista and WyHy have committed to being Platinum Sponsors, and Cheyenne-Laramie County Employees, First Education, Nuvision, and UniWyo join at the Silver Sponsor level.
In addition to financial contributions, each credit union will send teams of associates to help with the renovations. They’ll work alongside the veteran partner family Habitat selects to purchase the home with a low-cost, zero interest mortgage. Applications were accepted prior to the Pandemic and the selection process is near completion. The partner family for the Veterans Build home will be announced soon.
As a Veterans Build Affiliate, Habitat and the community will create a make the dream of homeownership a reality for someone who has faithfully served our county. Additionally, Habitat hopes to raise awareness about issues so many veterans face in their daily lives and to start a conversation about how we as a community can better support the needs of Veterans in Cheyenne, a place so many active and retired service men and women call home.
Those wishing to contribute time, materials, or donations towards the project are asked to contact Kate Wright kate@cheyennehfh.org. The community can learn more about the project by visiting https://www.cheyennehabitat.org/veterans-build
On Wednesday July 15, Habitat is participating in WyoGives Day of Giving. They Hope to raise at least $10,000 to cover the cost of getting the lot ready for construction. Habitat had expected to raise these funds at its signature fundraiser, Jump Into Jewels, which had to be postponed until 2021.The Veterans Build is the second build of the year, with progress on the organizations 50th home, located on Sonata Lane currently ahead of schedule.
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