Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity busier than ever at 25

What a charity — and it is a charity, but not the way some people think. Central Oklahoma Habitat has been among the top homebuilders in Oklahoma City for a decade (thanks to Habitat's growth as well as the fact that most builders are low-volume companies).

First, to clear up any misconceptions: People who move into Habitat homes do not “get them free.”

What they get “free” is the loan. No, they do not get the loan money for free. They do get the loan at zero interest. The loan is free, not the money. They do take on mortgages and they do pay them. That was worth spelling out.

Here's the mission statement:

“Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry working in partnership with God and the community to build simple, decent, affordable housing, and to provide hope for responsible, hardworking, limited income families living in substandard conditions.”

That's worth spelling out, too, once in awhile — like now, in celebration of a quarter-century of service, all of it with Ann Felton Gilliland in the lead, first as a volunteer working in borrowed church space, for years now as CEO, the past two years in still-new office-warehouse-workshop space at 5005 S Interstate 35 Service Road.

Further, as it says at www.cohfh.org: “At Habitat we work in partnership with families, not for them, in the spirit of the Christian principles that guide our lives. In our partnership, there are tasks that both parties agree to do. For example, Habitat agrees to sell a new home at no profit and with no interest charges. No down payment is charged. In return, Habitat families agree to maintain their homes and diligently make their monthly mortgage payments on time.”