ST. PETERSBURG - The house is neat and new, with three bedrooms, white concrete walls and a pretty lawn. And no family searching for a deal could ask for a more generous seller: Habitat for Humanity.
But it seems Habitat can't find a buyer willing to live in Bartlett Park, even in a brand new house that comes with a zero percent interest loan.
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Actually, I like the story, as it does one of the classic things journalism is supposed to do: afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted. It rightly shows that even a good deed can be undermined by other circumstances. It would be even better if the paper followed up on this, and looked at the decision-making process for building Habitat for Humanity Houses. Until this article, I was unaware that the poor were assuming mortgages on these homes; I was under the impression ... More »
Building the house in an undesirable area is sometimes the only option. When HH tried to build in a nearby town recently there was strong opposition from local residents who feared for their property values. There may also be the factor of obtaining a building lot at a resonable price.
A story about an unwanted house would usually focus on the perceived value but the real story is why HH would build in an area where no one wants to live. I though they only built with partner families who contributed with sweat equity. Sounds like they got ahead of themselves.
Good story with a big hole: in a story about a house that won't sell, doesn't the reader expect to find the price of the house? If it's a sliding scale, story at least needs to address the issue.
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