Five families from Tooele County are building their own homes as part of a housing authority program

Family and friends of participants in the Mutual Support Program in Tooele City explored new homes recently built by program participants.

How can you afford a home in this economic climate? Maybe by building it yourself.

Several Tooele County families were able to move into their homes last week, but the process of building and purchasing their homes did not follow the same pattern as a traditional American family.

One of the houses built by the program participants.

Through “muscle capital,” five families built their homes themselves, with help from volunteers and other families through the Mutual Self-Help Program. The goal of the program is to provide families with modest single-family homes with affordable monthly payments after they spend 10-18 months building their own home and the homes of their future neighbors. The five new homes are located near 324 N. 200 East in Tooele City in the Murdock Subdivision.

Their journey began with a meeting where interested families sat with Mutual Self-Help’s project coordinator to assess their financial and home situation and ensure they met program requirements. As spots opened up, program staff helped applicants submit a 502 Direct Self-Help Loan application to the USDA, which took about two to six weeks to be approved. After that, families were almost ready to begin building their homes, but not without first attending preparatory classes and safety training.

After safety training, families selected their lot and house plan and began making decisions for the interior and exterior design of their homes. Many of the decisions were made up front, while others were made later in the construction process. Participants then closed their loan and began construction, of course under the supervision of a professional construction manager. Home construction was expected to take 10-12 months, but the families took 18 months because this is the first time the program has been implemented in Tooele County, according to DeAnn Christiansen, project manager for Mutual Self-Help and executive director of the Tooele County Housing Authority.

Participants in the program recruited loyal friends and family members to help them build homes when they didn’t have time to build themselves. They also helped their new neighbors build homes, putting in over 30 hours of labor per week. In total, participants built about 65% of each home, but did not work on the plumbing, electrical, drywall, or foundations. Tuesday through Thursday, the future homeowners worked from 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A kitchen area in one of the houses.

Each home includes three to four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car garage, a front yard with landscaping and sprinkler system, appliances, and an unfinished basement. No mortgage payments were due before participants moved in, and homeowners saved 15 to 20 percent of the total cost by building their homes themselves.

Shortly after the group finished construction, an open house was held on Tuesday, August 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. The program began at 5 p.m. in the garage of one of the new homes. During the program, Christiansen, the construction manager, the project coordinator, the assistant construction manager, Tooele City Mayor Debbie Winn, and two new homeowners spoke. The builders called themselves the “Murdock Centennials.”

“Most of us had no choice but to build or own a home,” said Jenilee Bridgeman, a single mother who participated in the program. “It was a long process… We learned a lot.”

Anyone who wants to sell their home in the future will have to pay back the remaining balance of their mortgage.

To learn more about the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program or to apply, visit housingtc.org or call 435-882-7875.

Two other groups of Self-Help Program participants are currently building their homes in the area. Tooele County Housing Authority staff would like to thank the City of Tooele, Howard Schmidt, Corner Stone Construction and RA Johnson Exc. Inc. for their assistance with the program.

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