Habitat neighborhood going up

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

One of Mansfield’s newest neighborhoods is starting to take shape – and a lot of local folks are lending a hand.

After taking a break for COVID, Trinity Habitat for Humanity has started building in Mansfield again, this time the non-profit group is building a whole neighborhood, a total of 22 homes on Sayers Drive, on the city’s west side. The new neighborhood will be called Sayers Landing, built just off West Broad Street.

Construction on the first five homes began Nov. 21, with help from Mansfield city employees, Rotary Club members and Bethlehem Baptist Church members. One of the homes is an H1 house, which means it is being constructed by volunteers, while the other four are being built by contractors.

Building a neighborhood instead of a single home is more efficient, said Tiffany Hall, director of individual giving for Trinity Habitat for Humanity.

“It’s more cost effective,” she said. “It keeps the cost down for the home owners.”

The three-bedroom, two-bath, two-story homes will be a combination of brick and siding and sell for $187,000 for the volunteer-built home, and $220,000 for the contractor-constructed house. All of the homes will have 30-year, low-interest mortgages. Buyers must make under the 80 percent median income for Tarrant County to qualify.

The homeowner for the new volunteer-built home will be Vironica Virgen, who has two teen sons.

Construction on the house began with five build dates in November and early December, and will continue in January with five more build days. Contractors will complete the homes, which should be ready for move-in by late spring or early summer, Hall said.

Trinity Habitat for Humanity will begin building the next set of homes in Sayers Landing in April. Donors and volunteers are needed for those homes, Hall said. For more information on donating or volunteering, contact Hall at tiffany.hall@trinityhabitat.org.