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By Lance Gaither

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

On Saturday, the Lincoln County Habitat for Humanity dedicated its latest house to Iraq veteran Jerry Bailey Jr.

“We decided a few years ago that we wanted to build a house for a veteran,” said Gary King, vice president of Lincoln Habitat for Humanity. “Jerry Bailey Jr. served in Iraq and was injured. He works for Camp Nelson Cemetery now. Him and his family will be the recipients.”

The house is the 11th built by Habitat for Humanity in Lincoln County and is located in Stanford with 1,200 square feet of living area. Habitat for Humanity does not provide the house for free, instead they provide a zero-percent interest, 20-year mortgage to the recipients.

“We build it as cheap as we can with as much volunteer labor as we can get,” King said. “It is a very affordable home. Donations are still coming in.”

The family also is required to invest some sweat equity into the home. To help reduce the cost of the house, Bailey and his family have been putting in work on the interior of the home.

“They have to put their sweat equity into it,” King said. “The homeowners have done a lot, that is the way it is supposed to work. The more they put into it, the less is cost to build.”

Bailey served for eight years in the Army National Guard and is eager to move in to his new home.

“We have a few finishing touches before we move in but we are tickled to death. It is my very first house,” Bailey said. “We have installed the trim and floors, installed the cabinets, wired the electrical outlets. A lot of the interior work since the walls have gone up we have done.”