Louis Roach Jr. sat in front of his window Thursday, enjoying the simple pleasures of a view, a cold drink, and a house of his own.

Since Hurricane Katrina forced him to leave his New Orleans home, Roach has lived with his sister and her family, but Saturday, the Natchez chapter of Habitat for Humanity will officially hand over the keys.

The public is welcome to come to the 11 a.m. open house at 740 Smith St.

The 10th Habitat house is the first in town to be built handicapped-accessible, secretary and treasurer Duncan McFarlane said.

Roach, who needs a wheelchair or walker to get around, has more room at his new Smith Street house. His leg had to be amputated after an infection. All the room at his new house would be an opportunity to practice using his prosthetic leg again, he said.

“I love it,” Roach said, his voice echoing in the still-empty house. “I’ll have my freedom and I won’t have to step around anybody.”

The two-bedroom house will mean privacy, too. He pulled out a melted lump of plastic that vaguely resembled a cell phone.

“The neighbors’ kids found it and put it in the microwave,” Roach said.

Filling the house with furniture might take a while, but he has big plans. First on the list is a television and a stereo.

“Then, I’m going to get some groceries and start cooking,” he said. “I know it’s going to take some time, but every month, I’m going to get something new.”

The smaller bedroom will be good if his mother or children, who are scattered across the country, visit, Roach said.

But he always has the chance to have his own space, he said. As Roach talked, McFarlane vacuumed the last of the construction dust.

McFarlane said he was very excited about handing over the keys and helping select the next resident for which they would build a new house.

“This is the fun part, when you move someone in,” McFarlane said.

The house, started in November and finished in May, couldn’t have been completed without help from volunteers and donors, he said.

Saturday’s open house will be an opportunity for potential volunteers and residents to see what the project was all about, McFarlane said.

“We’re anxious to get started on the next one,” he said.

Construction on the next house should start this summer, McFarlane said.

First, a resident or family must be selected. It will still be a while before they pour the slab for the next house, he said.