The slow economy has put a damper on building, but area Habitat for Humanity programs have set building projects for 2009, though some are less ambitious than in prior years.

The Corinth-Alcorn County and Northeast Mississippi affiliate in Tupelo are among those currently recruiting partner families.

Applicant information meetings are scheduled in Tupelo at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 and 1 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Habitat for Humanity office.

People interested in becoming a partner family in Corinth should go to any mortgage lender and request an application.

“We have two lots where we can build now, one on Second Street and another on Linden Street,” said Corinth-Alcorn President Judy Glenn. “We’ve built several inside the city limits as these lots are, but we’ve also built in Biggersville and Farmington. We’ll even build on a partner family’s own property if they qualify.”

Habitat serves low income families, and people who attend the information meeting in Tupelo should bring several items with them, said Northeast Mississippi Executive Director Donna Jarrell.

• A social security card for everyone in the household.

• Proof of all income for the household.

• Proof of all bills, paid and unpaid.

Only people who attend an information meeting will receive an application for housing, she said.

“We feel the need is going to be great this year because of the economy,” Jarrell said. “We completed 10 houses last year, a record for us, but we expect to build only five or six this year.”

With about a dozen Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout Northeast Mississippi, individuals may call their local affiliate, listed here, to find out if they are accepting applications.

This national nonprofit Christian housing ministry builds simple, affordable houses in partnership with those in need who promise to give a certain number of hours of work. The families, in turn, purchase the houses at no profit with interest-free loans.

Pontotoc Habitat for Humanity plans to build three houses in 2009, but they already have a backlog of applicants they will review to choose the partner families and are not accepting new applications right now.

“We’re continuing to build in a subdivision we’re developing in Pontotoc,” said spokeswoman Barbara Carter. “The Circle of Hope subdivision is on 20 acres of land off Clark Street near D.T. Cox Middle School, and kids at the school helped us pick a name.”

Contact Lena Mitchell at (662) 287-9822 or lena.mitchell@djournal.com

More information

Pontotoc: Pontotoc County Habitat for Humanity, (662) 488-9090, e-mail bchfh@bellsouth.net