Halifax-Northampton Habitat for Humanity gave a home to 23-year-old Lonte Le-Pre Jones Tuesday.

An open house was held with the organization’s staff, volunteers, and Jones’ family. After a warm welcome, a blessing was given, followed by a consecration.

Jones applied for a habitat home after he was tired of wasting money on rent and dealing with landlords, he said.

“It feels like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders,” he said. “For one, I’m not paying rent and dealing with minor house problems. Also, I’m not dealing with landlords all the time and how they can’t help me.”

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that operates on Christian principles and puts in the work to build homes or refurbish them. Those who apply are approved or not according to the criteria of the approval process and commit to contributing 400 volunteer hours with most of it going toward the construction of the home, according to information on the website.

The organization’s Executive Director Rochelle King said Jones put in several hours of work on the house. He also works at Lowe's, he said. King said the house went to Jones with a zero percent mortgage.

“This will be our 27th family served, and we try to build or refurbish one house a year,” she said.

Volunteer construction supervisor John Haversack said the home received a new floor, paint, a roof, a new water heater, among other things.

“I do this work because I’m retired,” he said. “I just enjoy doing what I know how to do.”

Next door to Jones' new home lives his grandmother Pearlie Jones, who has lived there for 22 years, she said.

“I remember him running around in the front yard [of the former house] with his puppy dog when we moved in and had an open house,” she said. “Now he is here with his baby that is running around in his home.”