Update on Seniors at Home Village at Dunlap

Phase 2 of the Seniors at Home Village of Dunlap is nearing completion, with 15 families moving into their new energy efficient houses. Just as we completed the last house, we also found out that Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati approved our grant for Phase 3! This will be the final phase of the Village, and 16 more homes are scheduled for this phase.

Thanks to all who have made this Village a reality for the 31 families who currently reside in the Village, and the 16 more families who will soon become part of this community.

We are taking applications for the next phase. Interested parties may pick up an application at the Village office, the Chamber of Commerce of Sequatchie County, the Citizens Tri-County Bank Mortgage Center, or Happy Bottoms Office Supplies. You may also call us at 1 866-396-4673 and an application will be mailed.

We are happy to let everyone know that, shortly after the historic flooding of Middle Tennessee in May, we began a Seniors at Home construction in Lobelville, Tennessee. The house closed today and the happy homeowners are currently completing their move.

Thanks to all the friends, relatives, and New Hope Construction employees who worked so hard to make this a reality. We were so impressed with the number of volunteers who showed up the first weekend. Because of the volunteer response, we were ahead of schedule from the beginning!

If there are other senior families in the Middle Tennessee area who are in need of a modest, affordable house, please review our guidelines for the Seniors at Home program on our website and give us a call. We will be glad to send an application for consideration into this program. Contact number - 1 866-396-4573, ext 22 or 27.

Two More Townhomes Completed

The Seniors at Home Village has 2 more houses completed and ready to close the last of this month. We will have 2 more homeowners moving in right after Christmas at lots 21 & 22.

We will also have 2 more townhomes started in the next couple of weeks. As always, we are at the mercy of the weather. We hope to have enough dry weather to pour foundations, and then begin the houses so we can work inside before it gets too cold.

Helen and her office are in place and she would welcome a visit from homeowners or perspective homeowners. She is at the back of Phase 2, on Hummingbird Lane.

Thanks for all the support from the local community. We at New Hope Construction hope you have a very blessed Christmas.

Village Phase 2 Update

A family member from of one of our Habitat partners recently stated concerning her experience with building her house - "I learned a whole lot about construction, but I learned more about shoveling mud.” (Angela Brinnegar, Tazewell County Habitat for Humanity recipient). We can relate to that at the Village!! We are working in between raindrops, and have made some progress on the next 2 units of Phase 2. The foundations are in at lots 19 & 20, and walls and trusses are almost done. Once the roof is in place, we should be able to work around the rain and mud.

Foundations for the next 2 units will also be poured soon. Our plan, weather permitting, is to have lots 19 and 20 completed and occupied in mid-November, and have a good start on the next 2 which will be completed late 2009/early 2010. We will then have 6 homes in place for Phase 2, and a total of 22 families in the village. What a difference in the lives of these families from a few months ago. Most were living in either overcrowded or unacceptable conditions, and now have a new comfortable energy efficient house. One of our residents recently stated - "God is good", and we have to agree with that. We at New Hope are so grateful to be a part of this project and also for the friends we have made in the Village. They are moving past just having a house, and are making the Village a community.

Work will continue on this phase of the project for several more months. We are in need of volunteers to assist with construction or meals. If you have questions about the project, please contact Helen Ickes at 423-991-2616. And, as always, thanks to those of you have given time and made donations to the project.

Village update Phase 2

House number 2, Phase 2 of the Village closed the last of September, so we now have another homeowner in place! All houses on Cardinal Lane are now completed. The vast amount of rain we have experienced this summer, and continue to experience, has delayed adding backfill and final landscaping to the finished houses. Hopefully, we can work on sunny days to finally have everything in place for these wonderful homeowners.

We have the beginnings of a foundation on the next street, Hummingbird Lane. (again, rain delays) We expect to begin construction very soon, to enable 2 more homeowners to move in this year. The first 2 houses for this phase were single units, and the next ones will be townhomes. We look at each house plan and try to vary roof lines, siding, roof, and shutter colors, so there will be an interesting variety but each will still fit in.

Please drive by and check out our subdivision when you have a chance. With the streets, sidewalks, and driveways in place, it looks beautiful against the scenery of Dunlap. Tennessee is just a great place to live! Our hills, mountains, streams, and greenery are hard to beat.

Thanks again for all the support for this project. We want to give a special thanks to Tom Long, at Cumberland Appraisal Services, for his assistance. Without local support, we would not be able to accomplish what has been done so far.

Phase 2, House 1

We are making progress on house # 1 of the second phase of the Village at Dunlap. Plans are to close on this house this coming Thursday, September 17th and another homeowner will be able to call the Village home. This will be our first single house, at the end of Cardinal. There will be a few others scattered throughout the village.













The next house, also a single, is scheduled to close in the next couple of weeks. That will bring the total number of houses in the village to 18, and growing! Two more foundations are to be poured soon for 2 townhomes, and these will be the first ones on Hummingbird Lane.


Because of medical issues, the applicants are not always able to provide the "sweat equity" to help with house builds. We call on relatives if possible to paint, provide meals, or do whatever they can to help us out. This helps us keep the cost of the houses down, and provides a way for the new homeowners to give back to the program. However, sometimes the applicants have no relatives close by who can help us out. We are calling on friends from the community to fill in the gap and assist us in our efforts. If you have an organization, church group, or know of any individuals who can work with us, please let us know. Helen Ickes is the local contact and she can be reached at 423 991-2616, or call the NHC office at 1 866-396-4673, ext. 22 or 27. We would also appreciate donations of landscaping items.

Thanks to the community of Dunlap and to the Secuatchie County Sheriff's office and the Trustee program for what you have already done! With the streets, sidewalks, and driveways now in place in Phase 1, the Village is really looking good. We are working hard to provide some finishing touches with backfill in the yards, and final landscaping. Drive by and take a look when you have a minute!

Village Update

The Village is looking good! The last 2 driveways and sidewalks in Phase 2 are scheduled to be poured today. The next step will be a final grade and landscaping, just in time for the fall rains. We plan to have a "Friends and Family Day" to assist with the landscaping, sometime mid to late September.

Lots 13 and 14 are also seeing progress. Drywall is currently going in at lot 13, and painting will start once that is completed. Lot 14 has walls and trusses in place, and today the roofing will begin. We will soon have 2 new homeowners to welcome to the last 2 lots on Cardinal Lane!


Lot 13

































Lot 14



NHC is also having a fundraiser to go toward the next 14 builds. Until September 15th, Farmer's Almanac products are being offered, with a portion of each sale going toward Phase 2 already in progress. We are selling in both Dunlap and Sumner County. If you are interested, please contact Helen Ickes, 423 991-2616 (Dunlap) or 1 866-396-4673, ext 22 (Jane) or 27 (Nancie). We have several products, including almanacs, calendars, weather and garden items, and something even for children. If you look on our main page, there is a link to the items available.

Thanks for your support. If you are interested in helping the completion of Phase 1 or construction, meals, errands, etc. for Phase 2, please let us know.