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Families share experiences for self-help video

Amelia Leineweber waits for pizza in Kalispell, Montana. Lenny and Sheila, her parents, are pictured in the background. The Leinewebers moved into the house they built through Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana's mutual self-help program, supported by RCAC, two months ago. Photo taken by Jeremy Raff

RCAC multimedia specialist, Jeremy Raff, is on assignment creating a video that focuses on the families participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development funded Mutual Self-Help Housing Program. In Kalispell, Montana; Ephraim and Provo, Utah; Alamosa, Colorado and Somerton, Arizona, Raff met with families who built or are building their own homes. Between sharing meals, meeting children and neighbors and watching hunting videos, Raff got an intimate look at families’ homes and communities. Families were forthcoming about the program and their build groups, giving praise and criticisms, which Raff will share with RCAC housing staff and the western grantee organizations. The trip’s footage will become an additional resource for organizations having trouble finding buyers. We would like to give special thanks to Marney McCleary and Michelle VanSchoyck from Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, JaLyne Ogden from Six County Association of Governments also Karen Weatherspoon and Spencer Harvey from Rural Housing Development Corporation in Utah, Emily Strasel from Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation in Colorado, Jessica Castro from Housing America Corporation in Arizona, and of course, all of the families who participated.

For more self-help video highlights, visit RCAC’s Facebook page >>

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PowerOfChoice wrote:

The Mutual Self Help Housing Program has potentially become corrupt and abusive. In my state they are not supposed to obtain property by fraud or misrepresentation, engage in any unfair or deceptive practice towards any person, or defraud any person. A prime example of how Americans are having their life savings and property investments ruined you can consider the following: http://thebusinesstimes.com/public-funding-private-housing-homeowner-raise-concerns-over-land-purchases-for-affordable-housing-2/ . Per this article the owner put $384,000 into their house and after their Property Rights were violated sold. Per County Records "Sales and Conveyance Information” 12/06/2010 (a few months after their Consumer Protection and Property Rights violated) they sold their home for $245,000 dollars dollars (bottom of this page: http://www.imap.mesacounty.us/assessor_lookup/Assessor_Parcel_Report.aspx?Account=R025388

The actions were not only potentially legally wrong but also morally and ethically wrong harming innocent property owners in Colorado and happening in other subdivisions. This is financially destroying families regarding the number one most expensive item most Citizens invest in their lifetime … a family home.

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Sunday, December 2, 2012 7:17 PM

 

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