NATCHEZ &8212; Work is under way on Habitat for Humanity house number 10 in Natchez.

The satisfaction of building affordable housing for a family that has never owned a home keeps the Habitat volunteers coming back for more, said Duncan McFarlane, who has been involved with the Natchez chapter since returning to his hometown in 2001.

&8220;The reason I enjoy it so much is that you can see the finished product and the impact it has on the family,&8221; McFarlane said. &8220;It&8217;s a long haul, eight or nine months to build the house but very much worth it.&8221;

Work is intense, and the program requires that those for whom the house is being constructed take part in the project along with volunteers.

The future owners&8217; participation in the work is called &8220;sweat equity&8221; by Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat is not a give-away program. The requirement for work by the future owners is evidence of that premise.

Low-income families can afford the Habitat houses, as they come with a modest down payment and low monthly mortgage rates.

&8220;We get to know the people who are going to live in the houses,&8221; McFarlane said. &8220;We work side by side with them while we&8217;re building.&8221;

The house under construction now will be a new venture for the Natchez Habitat group, as its owner is a man with physical disabilities.

&8220;This will be a different kind of house with different codes, and we&8217;ll learn from this,&8221; McFarlane said.

Because the prospective owner is not able physically to help with the building, he helps in other ways.

&8220;He is our time keeper. He helps us order supplies,&8221; McFarlane said. &8220;You might say he&8217;s providing clerical sweat equity.&8221;

McFarlane said during the 40 years he was away from Natchez, he tried to become involved in Habitat programs.

&8220;In Atlanta, I never could get involved. I wanted to build. They told me I could answer the phone.&8221;

In Natchez, however, he became involved almost as soon as he let it be known that he was interested.

&8220;Now, I&8217;m doing what I wanted to do,&8221; he said.

Five or six core workers show up every day for work when a house is under construction, he said.

These are dedicated workers, and they are devoted to the idea behind Habitat for Humanity.

&8220;It&8217;s a Christian ministry involved in building affordable, decent housing,&8221; he said. &8220;We&8217;re trying to abide by Christian principles in what we do.&8221;

Andrew Calvit, the president of the Natchez chapter, embodies those principles, McFarlane said.

&8220;He opens and closes every workday with prayer,&8221; McFarlane said. &8220;The spirit that Andrew portrays permeates the organization.&8221;