Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County welcomes couple to new Adrian home during ceremony

ADRIAN — Jacob Trentman and Hannah Phair are looking forward to some Christmas magic later this month.

Last week, the Adrian couple who has set their wedding date for March 15, 2024, unofficially — but also officially — became homeowners for the first time.

Trentman and Phair were welcomed into their new one-story Adrian home Monday, Nov. 27, during a home dedication ceremony conducted by Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County.

While their Treat Street house is all completed there are still some final inspections and last-minute touches that need to be addressed before they can actually move in. There also needs to be the installation of appliances, which, immediately after the conclusion of Monday’s home dedication, some of those needed appliances were delivered.

Trentman, from Adrian, is the son of Paula Trentman, vice president and director of grants and programs for the Lenawee Community Foundation. Phair is originally from Quincy.

Habitat leadership and partners with the organization said the anticipated date in which the house should be fully completed and ready to move into should be around Christmas. In the meantime, Trentman and Phair will reside in Adrian with Trentman’s parents.

“Getting this home for Christmas, whether it happens before Christmas or after, is really a good Christmas miracle,” Carrie Hartley, Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County director of development and marketing, said. “Finding affordable homeownership opportunities has been hard.”

The Treat Street lot in Adrian that Trentman and Phair will soon call their home was donated for the use of Habitat for Humanity by the Amador family, which resided next door. The 943 Treat St. lot was connected to the Amador residence at 951 Treat St., but when the family decided to sell their house, they chose to split the lot and donated the split portion to Habitat.

“Without the wonderful generosity of the Amador family, we wouldn’t have had this lot to even build this house on,” Wendy Knox, Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County executive director, said.

By having lots donated to Habitat for Humanity that helps with keeping the costs down and making the homes even more affordable, Knox said. A handful of the Amador family members were present at last week’s dedication, which involved a ribbon cutting, a welcome home ceremony and the gifting of gifts to Trentman and Phair. Habitat provided the new homeowners with some books about owning a home as well as a plaque with special words from Habitat.

More: Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County dedicates new home in Adrian

The process of applying for the house began in March-April of this year, Phair said, calling it a slow process at the beginning.

“But then we found out we were going to be homeowners in the summer,” she said.

“It was kind of surreal to get that phone call,” Jacob added. The couple will reside at a property with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a 4-foot crawlspace.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization Jacob said he has volunteered with even before he applied to become a Habitat homeowner.

“(Habitat) is a great organization with great people and they do a lot for the communities that are lucky to have them,” he said. “I will continue to volunteer through our hours required and then after that as well, just because of the good that they do for every community.”

Habitat homeowners are not given their house. They have an affordable mortgage and have to put in what’s called "sweat equity" by helping build the house, volunteering with Habitat or attending homeowner education classes.

Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County has a strong relationship with many business partners, Knox said, including Premier Bank, which offers Habitat homeowners a low interest, low down payment 30-year fixed rate mortgage.

“That’s another partner who is really important to us,” Knox said of Premier Bank. “We are not selling homes to millionaires. (Jacob and Hannah) are a great young couple. They have partnered with us and put in some sweat equity into the home while still working, which is hard to do to.”

More than 20 partnering agencies, including Premier Bank, helped make Habitat for Humanity’s latest Lenawee County home build a possibility. Store-More Shelving, for example, provided custom-made cabinets in the house as a donation to the home build. AJ Brady Underground pretty much needed to remove a structure and foundation from the lot before the current home build could even commence.

TEC Electrical and Onsted Plumbing, Heating and Cooling were also given praise during the welcome home ceremony. These companies and others went out of their way to make the cost of the home palatable, Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County Construction Manager Doug Straub said.

Jackson Marsh, site supervisor for Habitat Lenawee, said Habitat home builds would not happen if it wasn’t for the community’s involvement, donations and volunteers.

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Trentman and Phair were described as generous, caring people who know the value of hard work by Paula Trentman.

“They know the value of community and home,” she said. “I am thrilled that they will have a place to call home in the same place I call home.”

People interested in becoming Habitat for Humanity homeowners in Lenawee County can head to habitat-lenawee.org. Applicants for homeownership are being accepted for two lots in Morenci: 101 E. Congress St. and 404 N. Summit St., as well as an Adrian residence at 815 Howell St. Detailed information about those houses can be viewed at Habitat’s website.

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: New homeowners welcomed home by Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County