Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Jan Varnell told the Civitan Club on Friday that the organization is preparing to join in efforts to rebuild homes in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Ms. Varnell said the Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity recently announced a response to the disaster called, “Operation Home Delivery.” Affiliates throughout the country are working together on a response plan, she said.

The first step of Habitat’s plan is to help their affiliates that were devastated by the hurricane, so that they, in turn, can begin to locally help people in need of homes.

Habitat for Humanity is also planning to implement their method of “blitz building” in order to provide homes as quickly as possible, the speaker said. She said “blitz building” means they will pre-build frames, place unassembled components in a container and ship them to the Gulf Coast where families and volunteers will assemble them into homes. Though these homes are built quickly, they meet local codes and “mirror traditional Habitat homes,” she noted.

Ms. Varnell said Habitat for Humanity is always looking for volunteers, but the group will definitely need volunteers when “Operation Home Delivery” gets underway.

Habitat for Humanity International will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, she said. She also noted that next year the Chattanooga affiliate of Habitat will celebrate its 20th anniversary. There are 1,700 affiliates nationwide and 4,000 internationally, she told the Civitans.

She said Habitat for Humanity is a “Christian based ministry” that strives to “do unto others.” Most of the houses are built for first time homeowners, and they use “volunteer labor” to keep the cost low, she said.

Ms. Varnell noted that a common misconception is that the organization builds houses and then gives them away. She said the houses are sold to “deserving families.” Prospective Habitat homeowners are counseled for 18-24 months prior to moving in, she said. They take classes on house maintenance, home insurance and mortgage payments. Habitat holds the mortgage, but the group looks at a family’s “ability to repay the mortgage.”

Eligible families are also required to put in 300 hours of “sweat equity,” in which they help volunteers build their house, she said. Habitat Houses are appraised at $80,000-$90,000, but families only have to pay $50,000 because most of the construction is completed by volunteers, she said. However, contractors are hired for certain parts of the building process such as installing heat and air, roofing, and carpeting.

Recently, Habitat for Humanity finished a neighborhood off of Shepherd Road. The subdivision has about 55 homes, and currently about 30 Habitat families are occupying these homes. She said half of the land was swampland to begin with, so this project also helped the city.

She noted that Habitat also has a Home Store on Main Street. The store is a “thrift shop for building supplies,” she said. Many of the supplies are donations from businesses. The store is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it sells to the public, she said.

Habitat for Humanity in Chattanooga is about to complete its 200th house, Ms. Varnell said. The 12th house solely built by women volunteers is almost finished as well. Habitat for Humanity welcomes all volunteers over 16 years of age, she said. Houses are under construction Tuesdays through Saturdays. “We love unskilled labor because we love teaching people,” she said. Volunteering is a “great way to learn and get a group together.”