PALMER — Gurn Circle is a community in progress.

The cul-de-sac just south of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway off Gurn Street was alive Saturday morning with the sounds of power tools, hammering and good-natured ribbing. It was another weekend for some of the Valley’s newest homeowners putting in a little “sweat equity” for themselves and their neighbors.

Tabitha Stevenson, a single mother of two, is all smiles as she hammers finish nails into the front deck of one of eight homes under construction on the street. Although a novice at construction a few months ago when she began working on the homes, Stevenson wields her hammer with confidence.

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“This will be my first house, and probably my only house for a long while,” she said. “I’ve learned so much. I’m so excited to know that if something breaks, I can fix it. I’m pretty good at nailing now — and taking out nails.”

Stevenson’s house, and the homes of her future neighbors, is being built by the Alaska Community Development Corporation’s Self-Help Housing Program. Funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Rural Development, the program has built 32 homes for low-income families in the Mat-Su with another 16 under construction.

On Saturday, the construction had the attention of U.S. Sen. Mark Begich and Dallas Tongsager, undersecretary for the Department of Rural Development. Both toured Self-Help Housing sites in Settler’s Bay and Palmer.

“I’m really happy the undersecretary came to look at the housing, because it shows they are focusing on housing issues,” said Pat Shiflea, who heads the program for the state. “We obviously think housing is a big issue, especially affordable housing, and this is a wonderful program to get people into homes.”

In addition to meeting income requirements for the low-interest home loans, families must also commit to working at least 30 hours a week. It’s a large time commitment, but one Tara Rosenlund takes seriously. Along with her husband, the couple puts in 30 to 50 hours a week in at the construction site on top of their full-time jobs.

“I think it’s pretty awesome to put in my own work and to know that I did this, that I’m not moving into some house somebody else built,” she said. “It’s actually my house.”

Although the eight homes on Gurn Circle are still in the framing stage, Rosenlund can imagine the day she finally moves in.

“I’m picking out paint colors, picking out flooring,” she said. “I’m just picturing it full of people. I walk through and think, ‘OK, this is where my couch is going to go, this is where I’m going to cook.’ I like looking out the windows and think, ‘This is going to be my view every day.’”

The homes follow two basic foundation plans, said Bob Flora, construction superintendent for the Palmer site. Within those plans, homeowners have options that can help personalize their homes.

In addition to keeping construction costs down, the required homeowner work builds up financial equity as well. According to the Alaska Community Development Corp., the average loan amount for the eight Palmer houses under construction is $154,594. The “sweat equity” investment is worth another $42,656, and the family will move into a house valued at $224,125. There are no down payments and the average mortgage payments range from $500 to $900.

“I think it’s a heckuva deal,” said Jared Stoltzfus, who spent Saturday helping install roof trusses. “It’s good to put the time in. Sometimes for single mothers, it can be hard to find baby-sitters and stuff, but it’s not impossible. I think you get a lot more out of it this way. You’re going to respect the house more.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.