American Credit Acceptance to Raise Walls on New Habitat Home in the Northside
Thursday, August 1, 2019 3:00 pm
American Credit Acceptance, a flagship Spartanburg corporation, will raise the walls on a Habitat home in the Northside Development Area on Aug. 5.
Associates from American Credit Acceptance (ACA) will complete many of the 2,000 volunteer hours needed to build the home, which will last through January. The Johnson Group Community Fund will provide full home sponsorship ($70,000) for the project.
“Our associates have a passion for giving back to the communities in which we live, and we’re honored by the opportunity to partner with Habitat for Humanity to make a difference here in Spartanburg,” says Tim MacPhail, Chief Financial Officer of ACA. He goes on to say, “We look forward to working alongside the future homeowners to create an attractive, well-constructed home where their family can thrive for years to come.”
The home, located at 500 North Forest St., will be a beautiful, ENERGY-STAR CERTIFIED single-family home and a wonderful addition to the Northside Area. The Northside Initiative is a comprehensive effort to fundamentally transform the Northside community into a completely revitalized, mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood attractive to families and businesses located close to downtown and served by a mix of highly rated educational opportunities, recreational amenities and responsive and engaged social services. Habitat Spartanburg most recently built three new homes in the core Northside Community and is pleased to build another attractive home in this wonderful neighborhood.
“Habitat for Humanity and The Johnson Group companies have enjoyed a fruitful and growing relationship over many years,” said Habitat Spartanburg Executive Director Lee Close. “ACA, OTO, and JDA have been regular construction volunteers and have assisted on numerous homes. In 2018, The Johnson Group was one of the sponsors of the first Habitat for Humanity CEO Build. Now, through the sponsorship by The Johnson Group Community Fund, ACA and Habitat will be partnering on constructing a home on North Forest Street in the Northside, as that community blossoms. We are tremendously grateful for this relationship with one of the flagship companies in Spartanburg as we seek to provide safe, decent, and affordable homes for Spartanburg families in need. Thank you to all the leaders who continue to reach out to improve the Spartanburg community.“
The new three-bedroom, two-bathroom house will be home to Esther Vargas and Domingo Villegas, a married couple who are excited to become a part of the Northside Initiative. Esther and Domingo currently live in a mobile home with various issues, including interior structural damage and electrical and plumbing issues.
Esther and Domingo are completing 350 hours of sweat equity which includes volunteering on other Habitat homes, financial management and home maintenance classes.
“This home is a lifelong dream of ours,” Domingo said. “We have dreamed of owning a home in a safe neighborhood and to be offered this blessing and an affordable mortgage is a true miracle. We wanted a home we could pass along to our son and with the help of American Credit Acceptance and Habitat for Humanity, we will be able to do that.”
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Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg is a leading nonprofit organization that provides permanent, affordable housing to income-qualified families in Spartanburg. By serving qualified homeowners with a zero-percent interest mortgage, we help families achieve housing stability and improve their living conditions. Habitat Spartanburg’s mission is “seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, community and hope.” Since its inception in 1987, Habitat Spartanburg has built 134 homes. Of those, 39 homeowners have completely paid off their mortgages and own their homes free and clear. In 2019, Habitat Spartanburg launched a Critical Home Repair Program to assist homeowners who are not able to afford exterior repairs and wheelchair ramps. Habitat Spartanburg leverages our resources with community partners and volunteers to keep our homes affordable. Together, we build.
American Credit Acceptance (ACA), part of The Johnson Group, works with motor vehicle dealers across the U.S. to empower consumers with emerging credit to purchase reliable and affordable transportation. In doing so, dealer partners gain new customers and those customers gain new opportunity. There are over 1,000 team members who support ACA, including over 600 associates at their offices in Spartanburg.