Wolf family enjoys home of their own

BONNERS FERRY — Home ownership comes with the sense of security. For Flora Wolf and her two daughters, they began the journey last Saturday, when the three of them took hold of the green ribbon stretched across the doorway, and ripped it down.

And then they were home.

The day was bright and crisp, with sun warming all the people that gathered to celebrate with the Wolf family as they officially received the house from Boundary County Fuller Center for Housing (BCFCH).

The journey leading to this day is paved with volunteers, donations of time and materials from a plethora of local businesses and people, and the hard work put in by Wolf. A project like this one generally takes 12-18 months, but due to precarious living arrangements, BCFCH was able to push the project to only nine months.

“We feel like we are rushing this closing but she has had some issues where she was living,” said BCFCH President, Teresa Rae. “The city was gracious enough to let us move in, having a certificate of occupancy, without it being completed on the outside.”

A small amount of siding is yet to be completed, but that will be done soon, and the house will get a paint job in the spring, when the weather warms up.

“This has been amazing,” said Wolf to the crowd. “It has been an awesome journey and thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

In the nine months, Wolf put in many hours of work, learning things that would be beneficial for her to know as a homeowner.

“I will point out there are several tasks that she did that she was not too keen on trying or doing,” said Rae. “One of which is putting up the roof.”

Wolf said that she scooted around on the roof for about 45 minutes before she was encouraged to stand up by a volunteer. Once she did, she realized it was not as scary as she had anticipated.

According to Rae, the three bedroom house was built for $91,000 thanks to partial and full donations of goods and materials, and through the few paid and mostly volunteer efforts of numerous individuals and companies in the community.

After 20 years of payments, the house which appraised at $210,000, will belong to Wolf free and clear, thanks to an interest-free mortgage that is tailored to Wolf’s income level.

“We hope that it is a wonderful 20 years,” Rae said when speaking to the Wolf family and gathered crowd.

One of the exciting things for Wolf’s daughters, 11-year old Destiny, and 12-year old Riana, is the opportunity to have their own bedrooms.

“Makes me feel choked up and just ecstatic because we see where she has lived. Through this process, she was evicted from her house when she found out that she was the recipient of this house,” said Rae. “They had to live in a place that required her to have the girls sleep with her in a bedroom and because of her heat situation.”

When asked what Riana’s favorite part of the new house, she replied, “My room and I’m going to decorate it. I’m going to have the room teal, white, and black.”

“My husband is building their beds today and I have decked out their bathroom for them so they have something cute,” said Rae. “The family is just so deserving.”

The house sits on enough land for Wolf to put in her first garden with the help and advice from members of the community.

“It’ll probably be raised beds and maybe a closed one because we have a lot of deer that run through my yard,” said Wolf. “I’m excited to hopefully I can get the plants growing.”

The list of businesses and individuals who donated materials, labor, or time to this project, is extensive, showcasing the heart of the community. So many came together to make Wolf and her daughters’ dream come true.

“It is amazing everything that we have done — all the effort that everybody has put in for us,” said Wolf. “It is a new beginning for us and everything is going to be so different. It opens up so many doors. I’m excited.”

Rae may have summed up the day best.

“The sun was shining, the weather was warm (for North Idaho!), and the tears were flowing (with JOY!) as the Wolfs began a new chapter in their lives, free of worry over living in substandard and oftentimes transient housing over the past decade,” she wrote in the press release. “Their lives will be changed forever, and we are excited for them!”