Tag Archives: homeowners

Habitat Success Story- 10 Years Later

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At Teton Habitat, we believe that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Through donations, volunteering, and the support of our community, we are able to provide truly affordable housing in Teton County. 

In 2013, Teton Habitat built four townhomes at the Homesteads at Teton Village. These were Habitat’s 25th – 28th homes.  As a requirement of the Teton Village Expansion, Crystal Springs Ranch, Inc. gifted the lots to Habitat. JLF & Associates, Inc was the architect for the project. This Old Bill’s season, we are excited to feature a Habitat family who is still thriving in their home after 10 years. 

Sharon and Stephen Fralin were excited to build their dream – a Habitat home that would be safe and healthy for their children in the town that was their home. Beset by financial and health hardships, they lost their first home to foreclosure in 2010. This was also emotionally devastating because it was the home where Sharon, a fourth generation Wyoming native, and her family were raised. 

After foreclosing on their home, the Fralin’s struggled in the Teton County rental market. Their rental, before purchasing a Teton Habitat home, was a small two bedroom apartment where ice collected on the inside of metal window frames during the cold winter months. They also had to deal with mold growing in the bathrooms. 

Sharon worked as a cook and cashier for Teton County School District and Stephen was a chef and a River Rock Lodge Assisted Living Center Dining Services Director. Both Stephen and Sharon enjoy the outdoors, being involved at their church, and volunteering with organizations that have benefitted their family such as Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association and the Special Olympics program. 

Their oldest child has down syndrome. “She has brought us incredible joy… and helped us renew our faith,” say Sharon and Stephen. The Fralin family continue to live and raise their family in their Teton Village home. 

It is through community support and donations that we can build truly affordable home for families like the Fralins. Now through September 15th your donations can go further through Old Bills Fun Run. You can donate to Teton Habitat Here. 

Unable to donate financially? We are always looking for people to donate their time to help these homes become a reality. Please consider volunteering here. 

Phase 2 Homeowner Selection for Parkside at Benson & Brown Station

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Teton Habitat is excited to report that we have selected 6 families and 3 alternates for Phase 2 of the Parkside at Benson & Brown Station. 

The selection process for the second six homeowners for this project began by informing our “active” pool of applicants of the income verification document deadline. 33 applications were submitted by our deadline of June 28, 2023. All applications and income verification documents were reviewed by the Homeowner Services Manager and submitted to a sub-committee for review and approval. The subcommittee then recommended 12 applications for Homeowner Selection Committee review. 

Fourteen homeowner selection committee members participated in an anonymized round of selection. The selection criteria included need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner.  All selected applicants are required to do 500 hours of sweat equity, attend homebuyer education courses, and save for their closing costs.  Teton Habitat sells homes to selected applicants through a zero per cent interest, 30-year fixed mortgage. 

Chosen applicants from our community include:

  • A 20-year resident of Teton County, a single parent with 2 kids currently living in a 1 bedroom/ 1 bathroom rental with many issues. 
  • A 25-year resident of the Valley, a single parent with 4 kids currently living in a 2 bedroom/ 1 bathroom rental with threats of eviction. 
  • A 16-year off/on Teton County resident, a single parent who has moved nine times in the last year. 
  • A 22-year resident in Teton County, single parent of 1, whose lease ends in October. 
  • A 22-year Teton County resident, single parent of 3 whose lease ends in November.
  • A 22-year resident, single parent of 1 with rent continually increasing. 

Chosen applicants for Phase 2 of the Parkside at Benson & Brown Station have been notified of their selection. Some have already begun their sweat equity hours. The Teton Habitat staff, Board of Directors and Selection Committee Members are thrilled to bring truly affordable and safe housing to 6 more families in Teton County. 

Phase 3 homeowners will be selected early next year, which will complete this 18 unit, single-family housing neighborhood. 

Learn more about his project HERE. 

Learn how you can get involved HERE. 

Parkside Homeowner Update

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Affordable homeownership is the focus and end result of the work collectively done at Teton Habitat. The Homeowner Services team is in full swing this summer, managing multiple facets of Teton Habitats homeownership program. 

First, our Phase 1 (first six units) homebuyers, who were previously selected, are going through their Homebuyer Education Classes while also working on the job site to fulfill their sweat equity hours – 500 in total! 

While this is happening, applicants for Phase 2 (the next six units) are being reviewed by our selection committee this month. Once selected, Habitat will welcome the next six partner families as they begin to work on their sweat equity this winter. 

Finally, our application portal is open for anyone interested in applying for Phase 3 at Parkside which includes the final six units of our project. These units will come up for sale in Summer/Fall 2024 with an expected completion date in Spring/Summer 2025.

English Application

Spanish Application 

 

Learn about the homeowner process with Teton Habitat Here.