Habitat For Humanity

Officials with Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County are seeking civic organizations, foundations, companies and individuals interested in sponsoring the construction of houses for needy families. The average cost of a Habitat for Humanity house is about $75,000, and interested parties can make a full donation, or partial donation of at least $10,000. So far, the nonprofit group has provided homes for 23 families in the county and built an entire housing development in Piru.

When Habitat for Humanity broke ground on a 53-home project in Pacoima last November, organizers for the nonprofit group hoped to move needy families into the first 10 homes by this Christmas. Today, though, the site remains mostly dirt, with only two houses framed out behind a chain-link fence. A late December move-in date is unlikely. Clearing the trash-filled area took time, as did obtaining permits and compacting the earth to make it stable.

The newly formed Hollywood for Habitat, a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the entertainment industry, is launching a 20-house "blitz-build" in Los Angeles this week. Spearheaded by director-screenwriter Randall Wallace, Hollywood for Habitat was established to raise awareness in the entertainment industry for Habitat for Humanity's mission of eliminating poverty housing.

Over the years, Habitat for Humanity has often been known for building one home at a time. But now the group is going full steam ahead on an ambitious 22-home subdivision for low-income families in this rural enclave east of Fillmore, which is still rebuilding from the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Over the years, Habitat for Humanity has often been known for building one home at a time. But now the group is going full steam ahead on an ambitious 22-home subdivision for low-income families in this rural enclave east of Fillmore still rebuilding from the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

After pushing a shovel into a patch of dry dirt Friday morning, Nicolas Enriquez glanced at his wife and three kids and smiled. Enriquez had just dug in the spot where the family's new home is scheduled to be built in the next year--a dream come true for five people living in a one-bedroom motor home. "It's hard living like that," Enriquez said. "Nobody has space."

Mark Korando has been named director of site acquisition for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. Korando will be responsible for negotiating agreements to provide funding for land purchases on which the group will build affordable homes for low-income families. Korando has spent the last 21 years in the building industry, most recently as senior building and grading inspector for Irvine's building department. * Brian Ahern has been appointed president of Simulation Sciences Inc.

Habitat For Humanity, which builds low-cost homes with volunteer labor, this month opened The ReStore, which gathers donated building materials that Habitat can't use in its projects and sells them to the public. The funds then go toward building more houses. The store is also a recycling center, said ReStore coordinator and AmeriCorp volunteer Sarah Schroeder. Much of the merchandise would wind up in a landfill if not for the efforts of Habitat volunteers, Schroeder said.

On a vast stretch of land in South-Central Los Angeles where gang members once fought amid weeds and rubbish, a new neighborhood flush with single-family homes is taking root through the efforts of Habitat for Humanity. Workers have completed eight of 26 homes planned for the "96th Street Build," which will stretch over portions of a five-block area along the northern side of 96th Street, between Central and Success avenues. The remaining 18 homes are expected to be completed by June.