912 N. Sixth Street

Homeless to Homeowner

The Jeremiah Project works with M.E.R.C.Y. Communities in rehabilitating a home for a local woman and her family.

This 100+ year-old Italianate style house was a jewel of the neighborhood at the turn of the century. But years as a rental property and several more years of sitting vacant had wrecked havoc, with homeless people breaking in during the winter months and the inside filled with trash and garbage bags of clothes and blankets.

We acquired the property in May 2008 with $21,500 of TIF funding from the City of Springfield. M.E.R.C.Y. Communities referred a single mother to us that they felt would be a good candidate for homeownership and she was pre-qualified for a mortgage through a local bank.

In June, volunteers went to work cleaning out the trash and debris from inside the house as well as the old floor coverings and fixtures. The Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association, Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty, and Starbucks all provided many hours of volunteer labor, rebuilding the back porch, landscaping, and installing a privacy fence in addition to the clean-up. New siding and windows were installed, the old box gutters were repaired, and the flat sections of roof were replaced.

On the inside, the plumbing and electrical wiring were completely redone and a new HVAC system was installed. The bathroom and kitchen were gutted and a new half bath was built on the lower level. New cabinets for the kitchen and laundry room were built through a partnership with Greenville Prison.

Several churches sent groups to volunteer workdays to help with painting, clean up, and yard work.

This house was completed in March 2009 and an open house was held to celebrate.

Click here for more information.