Volunteers Hammer Home a Message : Pacoima: The organization Habitat for Humanity dedicates a site where eight low-income townhouses will be built.

Like a religious tent revival, members and supporters of Habitat for Humanity, the Christian housing ministry that builds low-income housing, gathered Wednesday at a dirt lot in Pacoima to dedicate the site of its first project in the city with fiery calls for volunteers.

Millard Fuller, the group’s founder, opened his talk by leading the audience in a cheer, and then called the effort to build eight townhomes for low-income families a “wonderful demonstration of the value of partnership.”

“We are serious about eliminating sub-standard housing,” Fuller said.

“Habitat for Humanity is leading the charge in saying this has got to stop.”

The group espouses a “theology of the hammer,” in which a partnership of government and volunteers buy land, develop and build housing, which is then sold to poor families.

Rachel Dunne, vice president of the Habitat for Humanity of San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys, said construction of the eight units will begin once the eight families are selected, which will probably be Monday.

From there, those eight families and volunteers will help pour cement, build wood frames, put up drywall and install plumbing and electricity. New homeowners are required to put in at least 500 hours of “sweat equity.”

Most of the work will be done on weekends, which is why the first four units are not expected to be completed for about eight months, and the entire project not completed until about 18 months from now.

Dunne said that the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency helped buy the lot on the 10900 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard, provided money for street improvements and helped facilitate building permits.

John McCoy, director of housing for the Community Redevelopment Agency, said that while his agency supports Habitat’s efforts, “it’s not the way to provide the volume of housing that is needed to be produced for low-income families.”

Dunne said the eight units will be built at a cost of about $240,000, compared to about $1 million that it would cost a private developer.

He said the units--one 2-bedroom, three 3-bedrooms and four 4-bedrooms--would likely sell for between $50,000 and $60,000.

In the open market, they would likely sell for more than double that price, she said.

The eight buyers will be given zero-interest loans, probably for 20 years, provided by Habitat.

As part of the deed restriction, resales would be limited to other low-income families.

Other community groups, churches and local business are involved through donations and by providing volunteers.

The San Fernando Valley Board of Realtors has agreed to donate $35,000 to the group.

Among the area churches that have agreed to help are the Reseda United Methodist Church, the Tujunga United Methodist Church, First Assembly of God Church of North Hollywood, First Presbyterian Church of Sherman Oaks and St. Clare’s Catholic Church in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Imperial Thrift and Loan, based in Burbank, donated $5,000.