Families needed for home-building venture

A self-help housing program is seeking families to start building their own homes this summer.

Under this program, families group together to help each other build homes over several months - eventually buying the houses for $120,000 to $140,000.

That's a bargain in the Flathead Valley, where houses rarely sell for less than $150,000 - and most of the cheapest new houses go for $160,000 to $225,00.

Northwest Montana Human Resources has had 88 houses built over six years through this program. Another 16 are currently being built - eight in Empire Estates and eight in Somers.

Recently, the nonprofit organization received $896,000 in federal money to help build another 32 houses - 16 beginning this summer and 16 next year.

The first 16 will be north of the curve where Three Mile Drive becomes Farm To Market Road at the west end of Kalispell. The location has not been set for next year's 16.

Doug Rauthe, director of Northwest Montana Human Resources, hopes to line up enough applicants to start building the first 16 houses in July.

The construction periods usually last nine to 10 months. This year, Rauthe wants to get the exterior work done prior to winter, so people can finish the work indoors.

With this program, a family is required to provide 35 hours of labor a week in building their own houses and helping their neighbors build.

The homes have three or four bedrooms and are 1,250 to 1,475 square feet. They also have two-car garages.

Northwest Montana Human Resources provides foremen who teach and supervise the home-building families, who usually work on weekends or a few evenings a week. Subcontractors do the more technical plumbing and electrical work.

"This is designed for families who have the guts to do the program," Rauthe said, noting the huge investment of time.

Interested families should go to Montana Human Resources' office at 214 S. Main St., Kalispell. Or they can call program coordinator Michelle Minnehan at 758-5403 or the organization's front desk at 752-6565.

Rauthe also said: "Employers should encourage their employees to consider this program. It helps stabilize the work force."

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com