Habitat House Has A Certain Err About It

Doris Slater was once a Habitat for Humanity poster girl.

Back in 1993, the single mom starred in a promotional video for the nonprofit organization that uses volunteer labor to build houses for low-income families like Slater’s.

In the video, she lovingly embraces some rocks from the yard of her spanking new two-bedroom home at 2128 E. Fifth in Spokane. “These are my rocks,” she tells the camera proudly.

“I was really excited to get the house,” says Slater of her film debut. “I was all gung-ho.”

Today, the receptionist’s gung-ho is long gone. Her Habitat for Humanity, she adds, is more Habitat for Calamity.

She blames the charity for faulty construction that created an extensive sewage leak and other serious problems.

It’s true volunteers and future homeowners provide much of the labor on Habitat projects. But the work is supposedly supervised by qualified builders. Finished products must pass standard city/county code inspections.

“I’m not trying to be vindictive, but this house is falling apart,” complains Slater. “They say they give you decent, affordable housing. The word `decent’ is what I’m having a problem with.”

Please forgive this woman for being somewhat emotional. She has been through an experience few homeowners encounter.

Life began to sour in early April, when Slater heard the sound of water rushing under the house.

She elected her 15-year-old son, Mike, to drop into the 4-foot crawl space underneath the house and sneak a peek. “I knew something was really wrong,” says the boy with a shiver.

The lad’s journey into the unknown put him face-to-face with a raw sewage lagoon.

Not realizing the enormity of the situation, Slater tried to sop up the mess with 100 pounds of Kitty Litter.

We’re gonna need A LOT more Kitty Litter, Mike and Slater’s other son, Jesse, 23, declared when the experiment failed.

Slater and sons say they never smelled the fecal reek until they opened the crawl space. Over time, it appears, they simply got used to it.

There are some jobs in this world that defy a price tag.

Spokane’s Rescue Restoration Inc. charged $8,000 to haul away the noxious mess.

I don’t know about you, but I’d charge that much an hour to wade into that knee-deep stinkhole.

During cleanup, the home’s fundamental flaws were revealed. “Standard construction practices were not followed,” says Rescue Restoration’s Bob Whitehead.

The sewer line to the toilet, he adds, had not been supported properly. Repeated impact from flushing (14 pounds per flush, mind you) had gradually vibrated the pipe off its joint.

Then there’s the bathroom. When the vinyl was pulled up, Whitehead discovered the sub-flooring was popping loose.

Why? Only six nails had been put down.

“I would have put in 100,” he says, adding that he’s betting the kitchen floor needs replacing as well.

There is extensive dry rot in the bathroom that could be caused from pipes leaking behind the walls.

The shower can’t be used until that is fixed. Slater has compiled a list of other problems she blames on lousy construction.

Michone Preston, executive director for Habitat, says the Slater abode is being evaluated.

Even though the home has long passed its one-year warranty on defects, Preston vows to make good on any errors attributed to building.

Although Slater’s insurance paid most of the Rescue bill, for example, Preston says Habitat will pay the $500 deductible not covered.

Habitat for Humanity does provide a wonderful service. In the past 12 years, the ecumenical ministry has built 75 homes in Spokane County. Each qualifying family is trained in home ownership and must put in 500 hours of sweat equity. In exchange, buyers are given interest-free loans.

Preston hopes Slater will be patient until all this can be resolved.

“She’s been a tremendous owner for Habitat for Humanity,” Preston says. “We’re not going to walk away from Doris.”