Habitat for Humanity breaks ground for first home in Charlestown

Dec. 3—CHARLESTOWN — A project to build the first Habitat for Humanity house in Charlestown is underway, and once completed, single mother Aerion Irvin looks forward to moving in with her two daughters.

Habitat for Humanity Clark & Floyd Indiana and One Southern Indiana joined city officials Friday for a groundbreaking at the site of the new home to be built on Maple Drive.

The nonprofit has brought together volunteers to build or renovate more than 50 homes in Clark and Floyd counties over the years, and the City of Charlestown donated the Maple Drive property to make way for the Habitat for Humanity home.

Habitat for Humanity aims to begin construction in the spring, and the hope is for Irvin to move into her new home next fall. The house will contain three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Charlestown Mayor Treva Hodges expressed her excitement about the project at Friday's ribbon-cutting.

"We know that homeownership is important, and we know that homeownership in Charlestown is important, and what a wonderful way to tackle blighted properties and rehabilitate and turn them around into growth and opportunity for people like Aerion," Hodges said.

"We are so stoked that we get to do this, because homeownership, as we know, is a step toward generational building of wealth, comfort, love and, in many ways, liberty, because she will be free to make a whole lot of decisions and grow her family," she said.

Hodges said the site was once home to a house that had "fallen into an extreme state of disrepair."

"Something needed to be done, so it took the city about a year of working with the folks who owned it, and finally, they just decided to turn it over to us," she said. "Then we were left with this blighted property with three structures on it and questioning, what do we do?"

Irvin, who is now living in Jeffersonville, has been in the Habitat for Humanity program for about a year. She has volunteered with other homes, and she will play a major role in working on her own home over the next year.

"It's been a long time, but it's all about to be a reality," she said.

Through Habitat for Humanity, future homeowners contribute 250 hours into the construction of their homes and pay a monthly mortgage.

Irvin will live in the home with her daughters, 4-year-old Aerica and 7-year-old Ariana. Friday was their first time seeing the property, she said.

Irvin was hoping to have the Habitat for Humanity home for her youngest daughter, Amiyah, but she died last year at age 1 1/2. Amiyah was a premature baby who suffered from chronic lung disease.

"She would have been 3 now," Irvin said. "The sun's out today, and I feel like she's up there."

When she first goes into her new home, she expects she will cry a little bit, she said. She has never owned a home, and the house in Charlestown will be bigger than where she has previously lived.

She is excited for the kids to be able to choose their own colors in their rooms, and they will have their own bathrooms and much more space, she said.

Irvin feels Charlestown is the right fit for her family, and she looks forward to seeing the Christmas displays in the city.

Jerry Leonard, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Clark & Floyd Indiana, said he was "like a kid in a candy store" when Hodges asked if the nonprofit was interested in the property.

"I was so excited about it, and then I found out that I wasn't nearly as excited as the rest of the City of Charlestown was excited..." he said. "We are thrilled after 30 years of being builders in Clark and Floyd County that we actually get to come out here now, and this is the perfect lot."

Many people in the Charlestown community have reached out to see how they can help with the project, Leonard said, and local companies have volunteered to assist with the project.

Ruthie Jackson, Charlestown City Council president, said she is excited to welcome family to the community and to rehabilitate the lot.

"We're going to be here for your kids, and we look forward to you immersing yourself in our community and being part of it," she said.

Hodges said the community has "jumped on board" with the project.

"It's just been the perfect dream come true for our community," she said.