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Rebecca Craig/The Daily Times Graham Watkins and Nancy Watkins wrap a present at Habitat for Humanitie's gift wrapping booth at Animas Valley Mall on Wednesday.
FARMINGTON — Some residents work hard, pay their bills, but still can't make the necessary ends meet to buy a home in San Juan County.

Hoping to bridge the fine line between the haves and the have-nots, Tres Rios Habitat for Humanity uses volunteer labor to bring the cost of home ownership down for families who work diligently but still are unable to afford a traditional mortgage for one of the area's homes, which median more than $200,000 in value.

Not only do Habitat for Humanity volunteers build the houses from the ground up, homes are sold to approved buyers with zero interest using money raised entirely within the community, said Frank Hayes, president of the Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors.

The nonprofit group, which was reorganized in 2007, and has restarted construction of new homes with a new project under way on Yucca Avenue in Farmington, is working toward developing one new home each year using volunteer labor provided by church groups, other nonprofits or anyone interested in donating a little of their time.

New home construction can require more than 8,000 volunteer man hours, in addition to the work of certified professionals hired to construct the electricity and plumbing systems, Hayes said.

"Homes are places that represent safety, security, and I think they bring out responsibility in us," Hayes said. Habitat for Humanity "is a good way for helping people with that most basic of necessity."

And with so few homes being built

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each year, the program can be very selective in identifying families earning less than $30,000 each year with the greatest need for a home, while also expecting families to demonstrate the fiscal responsibility with a steady job and good credit history, Hayes said.

"While definitely there's a need, and definitely there's people who don't make that much money, the kicker is finding those who have enough good credit or are willing to work on their credit to qualify to purchase the home," Hayes said. "We're not in the business of giving away homes."

Each adult family member of the approved home buyer also is expected to work alongside volunteers for at 200 hours of construction, Hayes said.

Habitat for Humanity homes sell for only the expenses invested in construction, typically costing new homeowners between $75,000 and $100,000.

After living in a small trailer on Crouch Mesa for seven years, Wendi Blackmore, a single mother of three, moved into her first home just before Christmas last year after being approved for a Habitat for Humanity development that was repossessed from a previous owner who failed to make payments on the La Plata Highway home.

Without the Habitat for Humanity program, Blackmore said she never could have afforded to own a home despite a full-time job at San Juan Regional Medical Center.

"I have never experienced that where people I don't know have helped me in the community. It was a surprised to me that people cared that much about me without knowing me," Blackmore said. "Everyone that I have met has been supportive, understanding, excited for me to own my own home. It's been a wonderful experience."

Now Blackmore said she takes pride in her home, rather than being embarrassed of her family's meager living conditions.

Families who own the Habitat for Humanity-built homes are expected to prorate the value of the home when sold, and only obtain full ownership after residing in the home for at least 20 years, Hayes said.

But the task of making homes affordable for those in need falls on local volunteers willing to swing a hammer, Hayes said.

"They feel like they're helping somebody to help themselves," he said of local volunteers.

James Monteleone: jmonteleone@daily-times.com

For information on volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in San Juan County, e-mail program organizers: tresrioshabitat@gmail.com