A decision will be “nailed down” tonight on when to start the next local Habitat for Humanity building.

In July, it was announced that construction on the new three-bedroom, two-bath home in Andalusia would begin in six to eight weeks, putting the start date sometime in September. The new home site is at College and Oak Street in Andalusia on a lot donated by Robert and Shelia Williams.

Dale Pancake, director of the Covington County Chapter for Habitat for Humanity, said Monday that tonight’s meeting will have a two-fold purpose.

“As far as fundraising goes, we’re a lot closer to having what we need to start the next build,” Pancake said. “We hope to nail the date down (tonight), and our family selection committee will present our new partner families. I believe we have some good candidates who are looking forward to starting work on their 300 hours of sweat equity.”

Habitat for Humanity is a Christian building ministry in which volunteers help construct a home for a “partner family,” who then pays a no-interest low mortgage to live there. Partner families are also asked to contribute “sweat equity” by participating in other construction projects – 100 hours on another partner family build and the remaining 200 hours on their own build.

Pancake said the organization is about $10,000 away from the $50,000 construction goal.

“We’ve had some nice donations come in recently, which is wonderful, and it puts us much closer to our goal,” he said.

And while monetary donations are always needed, so are donations of materials. At the last Habitat build in Florala, area merchants such as Shaw, Great House Floors and Carolina Mill Works and Truss donated construction items and labor.

Pancake hopes more donations of the same will follow for the upcoming build.

This Andalusia home will be the fourth HFH build in Covington County and the second to be constructed in Andalusia. The home will be located at 301 College Street, near CCB Community Bank, and already several local organizations have committed to assist with volunteer labor.

Pancake said the home will be an “attractive house that fits in with the neighborhood” and will be the first Energy Star Habitat home built locally.

“We’re very excited to say this will be the first home built to Energy Star standards, meaning it will make a big difference for the family and their utility bill,” he said.

“The houses we built before were close to that, but now that we’ve been trained, they can now have that important rating.”

Those to be volunteers or those wishing to make donations should write to the local HFH chapter at: Covington County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1034 Andalusia, AL 36420.