Habitat, Riverland break ground on housing project

An Austin family has a little more to be grateful for this year after several organizations have come together to help them build a new house.

Freeborn/Mower Habitat for Humanity and Riverland Community College broke ground on a new home project Friday for the family of Gabait Nagid and Nasra Damin. Riverland carpentry students will help the family build the house over the next year, after the city of Austin demolishes the current one.

“As soon as this thing comes down, we’ll be ready to go,” Walter Alms, Riverland carpentry instructor, said.

The house, located at the 1200 block of Ninth Street Northeast, is one of three foreclosed properties recently sold to the city of Austin by Mower County.

The city and the Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority will work with Habitat for Humanity to create future homes on those sites.

“This is a super-cool thing we’re celebrating today,” Bridget Fisher, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said.

This marks the 33rd house built by Habitat over the past 20 years, according to Fisher.

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