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Habitat for Humanity holds site blessing in Lancaster (video)

Lancaster-Lebanon Habitat for Humanity President and CEO Andrew Szalay, second from left, hosts a site blessing at 657 Fremont St. in Lancaster on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Photo: Kyle Gamble)

Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity held a site blessing at 657 Fremont St. in Lancaster on Friday morning to kick off the restoration of the home there.

“We like to come here and gather together as a community and neighborhood [to] say a prayer for the safety of this house becoming a home,” President and CEO Andrew Szalay said.

Habitat for Humanity bought the house from Lancaster Equity through a grant and partnership with Tenfold and the SoWe organization. Renovation will cost an estimated $90,000 in labor and materials.

“All of Lancaster needs more housing, and it also cannot afford to lose quality housing, and this is housing preservation,” Szalay said.

Habitat’s homeownership program makes affordable homes available to qualified low- and middle-income households who complete financial education courses and put in at least 400 hours of “sweat equity.” There is currently a waiting list and the program is not accepting new applications.