Local news
Habitat for Humanity’s 67th Franklin County Home Is Going Up in Waynesboro
By Misty Ernde October 30, 2026
Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County is building its 67th home in Waynesboro, on Ridge Avenue, for a local family, and a new state grant announced this week will help pay for it. On October 30, state Rep. Chad Reichard announced $51,925 in Neighborhood Assistance Program funding for four Franklin County nonprofits, with $22,500 of it going to Habitat toward that home. Here is what happened, how Habitat homeownership works, and what it means if you are house-hunting in Franklin County.
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
What happened this week
Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program, known as NAP, is a state tax-credit program that encourages businesses and individuals to invest in community revitalization projects. Under this year’s round, four Franklin County nonprofits are sharing $51,925 in NAP funding, and the largest single grant, $22,500, is going to Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County toward its 67th home, according to announcements from Rep. Reichard’s office reported by LocalNews1.org and the Franklin County Free Press.
That home is already taking shape: House #67 is on Ridge Avenue in Waynesboro, construction began in August, and it will be owned by a local family, per Habitat Franklin’s current-builds page. The grant helps close the gap between the build and the keys, one more sign of steady, year-round affordable homebuilding in Franklin County.
How a Habitat home works
Habitat for Humanity’s model is worth understanding, because it is a real path to ownership for families who may not fit a conventional mortgage. Habitat sells its homes to qualifying partner families at an affordable price, pairs them with a mortgage sized to what the family can manage, and asks each family to contribute sweat equity, hundreds of hours helping build their own home and their neighbors’ homes. Families qualify based on need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner.
It is not a giveaway, and it is not for everyone. But for the family who qualifies, it turns a maybe into a plan: a home they helped build, priced and financed so the payment fits. That is a meaningful thing in a county where officials have talked openly about the need for housing at every price point.
What it means for local buyers
Habitat’s 67th home joins a busy season for the organization: it completed its 63rd home earlier this year, broke ground on a home in Chambersburg in September, and has the 71-home EdenView neighborhood in the works nearby. Every affordable home added helps, because a house that sells to one family at a price they can carry takes pressure off the whole market.
For most buyers, though, the practical lesson is simpler: homeownership in Franklin County can come through several doors. A brand-new home, an existing home that needs a little work, a Habitat partnership, a down-payment assistance program, or a VA or FHA loan. The right door depends on your income, your credit, and your timeline, which is exactly what a first conversation should sort out.
How to get ready
Whether your first home is a Habitat build, a resale in Waynesboro, or a new home in Chambersburg or Greencastle, the preparation is the same: know your budget, get your financing in order, and understand the steps before you start. Misty’s free First-Time Homebuyer Guide walks through the whole process in plain language, from getting pre-approved to holding your keys, and it is written with the local market in mind.
Questions about your budget or what you can qualify for? Misty knows Waynesboro, Chambersburg, Greencastle, and the rest of Franklin County up close, and she is one call or text (240-527-7249) away.
Misty Ernde
Realtor® and Team Lead of The Misty Ernde Team at eXp Realty, licensed in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This post is general market education, not legal or financial advice.