Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will be taking a break from her new duties to volunteer some time at a Habitat for Humanity build in Madrid on Monday, June 12. Reynolds is hoping that her visit will help raise awareness of National Affordable Housing Month (NAHM) as part of a larger, state-wide effort by Habitat for Humanity of Iowa to focus on the affordable housing issues in the state. Gov. Reynolds, who plans to spend the entire afternoon at the build site, will be joined by 14 to 16 volunteers, Habitat for Humanity staff members and representatives from the Iowa Financial Authority. The house is being built in partnership with the Mark and Kim Mohr family, who have had a difficult time locating a home with enough space to fit their family of five, as well as space and accommodations for Mark, who has been confined to a wheelchair since suffering brain injury in a car accident several years ago. The family currently lives in a mobile home and shares one small bathroom. Construction is scheduled to be completed in October, at which time the family will begin a no-interest mortgage with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. The money they pay in will then be used to fund construction of more homes in the coming years. In addition to the loan, the family will work a minimum of 300 hours alongside the other volunteers.
