Mahaska County Habitat For Humanity Making Home Ownership Possible

Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity had this home moved from near the New Sharon area to 1214 1st Avenue West in Oskaloosa.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – It was something you don’t see every day, a house going down the middle of the road in the city of Oskaloosa.

Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity had a home donated to them by a couple in the New Sharon area and it was moved to 1214 1st Avenue West in Oskaloosa.

Habitat had a lot in Oskaloosa, and a foundation was poured to the home’s dimensions. The hard part was going to be traveling all those miles, clearing all the obstructions along the way. Power and cable lines had to be moved or lifted. Stop lights and street signs had to be avoided as the streets narrowed towards the home’s destination.

Tiffany Anderson is the Executive Director for Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity, and she was smiles and nerves as the home was in the final blocks of its journey.

Anderson said that they look forward to bringing the home back to life once it’s placed on the foundation. “We are really hoping that we can rally the community to get a family in here before Christmas.”

According to Anderson, the donating family wanted to remain anonymous at this point, but she had the opportunity of meeting with the family and hearing the history of the home and how it served their family. “It’s got a lot of history and a lot of memories. They are excited to bless a family here in Oskaloosa with this home.”

Anderson says that the organization is in the process of selecting the family that will be the next occupant of the home. The selection committee looks at multiple things, including living conditions, and financial ability for the new family.

Many of the utility companies spent hours following the home that was escorted by the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office and, once inside the city limits, the Oskaloosa Police Department.

Legacy Real Estate furnished pizza for all the volunteers that helped to make it possible.

“Mahaska County Habitat has big goals and we intend to fill those goals and make some families very blessed here in our community,” said Anderson.

As the home pulled into the lot and parked next to the foundation it will rest on, nerves were still on end as they prepared to move the home from the truck and trailer to the foundation. “There’s been a lot of hands in this,” said Anderson. “It’s a little overwhelming but it’s been a very fun morning.”