Scott Donnelly, Cindy Creighton and Chet Yarborough examined the
progress of the NSA's Habitat for Humanity project.

NSA Habitat House Nears Completion
By Ned Barnett 

            Nevada Subcontractors Association has stepped up to the plate – again – building another new home for Habitat for Humanity.  This new home, in Las Vegas off West Charleston, is a slab-on-grade two bed/one bath/one car garage single family home with about 890 square feet.  The new homeowner is a single mom.  Her father, a firefighter in Henderson, is also an electrician – he did all the electrical work on the home, continuing the Habitat for Humanity tradition that the homeowners contribute sweat equity to their new homes.

            “The home is the centerpiece of the American family, and by helping families move into better housing, the collective efforts of the NSA have contributed to something so much bigger than any of us individually,” Cindy Creighton, Executive Director of Nevada Subcontractors Association said.  “The partnership between the Nevada Subcontractors Association and Habitat for Humanity is more than building houses, it is about creating neighborhoods and building communities.

“This ties right in with the NSA’s slogan – We Build Nevada,” Creighton explained.  “My heartfelt thanks go out to the dozens of subcontractors and vendors who answered the call and donated their time, talent, labor, equipment, and supplies to make a difference in other people’s lives.   For instance, Pulte supplied all the lumber and framed the house, and literally dozens of other companies have supplied time, talent or material to help NSA create this new home in Las Vegas .  Many subcontractors have commented to me this experience gave them a true understanding of the meaning of a decent home and the value of what they have done together to revitalize a community,” she said.  “In addition to opening a door to a new home, the family moving into the NSA sponsored home will have a key to a new life.”

One of those subcontractors is Scott Donnelly, General Manager of Cooper Roofing and a Vice President of NSA.  This is the first Habitat for Humanity home Scott has helped build since buying Cooper Roofing last year.  He’s doing the roofing work, while Monier Lifetile supplied the roof tiles and RMA donated all the roofing sheet metal.

            “I’ve been working in this town for 20 years,” Scott said.  “I’ve done a lot of charity work at St. Jude’s Ranch and we’re currently doing some volunteer construction work for Girl Scouts in Lee Canyon . I believe in this kind of effort – I’ve made a good living here and it may sound trite, but I want to give something back.  NSA members – and even non-members – have stepped up to supply cabinets, countertops and other materials,” Scott explained.  “With the housing market off, it’s remarkable how many people have stepped up to help.”

Habitat for Humanity’s Project Manager, Chet Yarborough, said, “What NSA is doing is amazing.  They’ve committed to build five houses over five years – this is the second one, with three more to go.  We build decent, affordable housing in unaffordable markets,” Yarborough explained, “keeping costs down by getting materials and labor – and even the land – donated.  This property was donated by the city of Las Vegas , for instance.  Because of this, and because we finance the purchase at no interest, we help families with an income who still can’t afford decent housing.

“In lieu of a down payment, selected families commit 250 hours of work – per adult – toward the completion of their home.  Because we handle the financing, the mortgages are set at what these working families can afford – generally, we sell the houses for 65 percent of appraised value, with principle-only loans to make them even more affordable.  Still,” Yarborough said, “this gives families the opportunity to break the poverty cycle and build equity – more important, people become part of their neighborhoods and experience the pride of home ownership.  They make a physical-labor, a psychological and a financial commitment to their new home, and the results show the impact of this commitment.

“Bottom line,” he said, “this is a hand-up, not a hand-out.  Families work hard, they make – for them – a big financial commitment, and from this commitment and hard work, they get a decent, affordable house.  This is an excellent program, and we’re proud to partner with the Nevada Subcontractors Association in helping out these fine families to move up in the world.”

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