Habitat for Humanity dedicates 200,000th house

Jack Kemp, former U.S. housing secretary, handed over the keys to the milestone house on Sunday to Kouassi and Harper after a marathon eight-day construction involving 135 volunteers.

“I say thank you to Habitat for making my dream come true,” Kouassi said. “God blessed me. I have a wonderful wife and children. …I’m very happy to be here.”

The couple has six children in the United States, and three of Kouassi’s children from his homeland, Ivory Coast, plan to move to America next year.

“Thankful, cheerful, excited, everything,” Tonya Harper said of her new five-bedroom, 1,496-square-foot house. “It’s amazing how fast they did everything. It looks so pretty.”

The Georgia-based Christian housing organization took 24 years to build its first 100,000 homes and five years to build the second 100,000. As Kouassi and Harper prepared to move in, the group’s 200,001st house was being completed in Kanyakumari on the southernmost tip of the tsunami-ravaged Indian peninsula.

“Their dream is no different than the dream of people all over the world,” said Kemp, chairman of Habitat’s More Than Houses Campaign.

Habitat families must have a “significant need” to qualify. They must contribute at least 500 hours of “sweat equity” into building their home and others. And they must be able to pay an interest-free, 20-year mortgage, Habitat officials said.

Among Kouassi and Harper’s housewarming gifts were a Bible, a library, a pantry of food and a doorknocker commemorating their house as the 277th built by Knoxville’s Habitat chapter.

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Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org