Angelique Nesbitt and her children got a new lease on life in October when they got the keys to their Osage Place home, an affordable Habitat for Humanity house with solar power that will keep electricity costs low.
The 5-bedroom house is the first of 30 Habitat houses in Bloomington that will be powered by solar energy. rv battery replacement
And it's a far cry from the crowded 3-bedroom apartment where the Nesbitts have been living, where a quiet space is not always easy to find.
Now, each child will have their own bedroom, a place they can decorate as they please and call their own.
When interviewed for a Habitat for Humanity family profile, Nesbitt explained that finding stable housing had aways been a challenge for her and her kids, six in all. Frequent moves over the years have disrupted their lives, time and again.
"It’s not necessarily hard to find a place, it’s just finding a place where you can stay,” 40-year-old Nesbitt said. “I’m always reminded that my place isn’t really mine.”
Not anymore, because she soon will have a permanent address on South Bernard Drive.
Nesbitt’s residence was built by Indiana University students, staff and faculty. It’s the 14th constructed through a collaboration between IU, the Kelley School of Business and the Whirlpool Corp that began in 2010.
From 2021:Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on Osage Place neighborhood near downtown Bloomington
The energy efficient and climate-resilient aspects of the home prompted the City of Bloomington to grant $250,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County to fund the installation of solar panels on other homes the organization builds.
The Nesbitts' house is nearly complete. Exterior siding is being installed, and the family will be moving in soon.
The city grant, combined with private donations for solar panels, will cover the cost of installation. The solar systems have monitors that allow homeowners to manage the electricity used in their homes.
Houses built through Whirlpool’s Build Better solar initiative have energy savings of about 45% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions about 15%, according to a Habitat for Humanity news release about the project.
Nesbitt realizes another dream and step toward financial security this month with the completion of a nursing degree she’s been pursuing for years while also holding down a job at Evergreen Village. She spends her free time with her children, and the family together worked the required 250 hours to help build their house.
Since 1988, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County has built an average of 8 to 10 houses a year for low-income families.
off grid system Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.