I am good. I do not charge for being good. Therefore I am good-for-nothing. 

You would have seen witty phrases like these fixed to the cap of William “D’Grouch” Laubengayer had you been volunteering alongside him through the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, or IVHFH. 

Laubengayer helped build 104 homes during his 20-year run with IVHFH.

Although he died in 2020, his name is still brought up today. IVHFH’s most recent duplex project, located on Blazing Star Drive, was built in his honor. The group held a dedication ceremony on April 26. 

Laubengayer’s personal tools were used during the construction, effectively making the duplex his 105th and 106th home with IVHFH. For Tami Bonnett, IVHFH Development Director, that isn’t all he leaves behind. 

“It’s hard to express how much he meant to our organization,” she said. “He was a very skilled guy and brought a lot as far as our capacity as an organization. The extra time spent that he put in would help us be a little more ahead on our projects.”

Laubengayer spent his time at home in his workshop preparing and measuring the frames of doors, creating design templates, and cutting lumber used in construction. 

“He was also a teacher,” Bonnett said. “He’d help people stepping on the built site that aren’t necessarily comfortable, or have never experienced building in any way. So, he really taught people that didn’t have skills or maybe didn’t even pick up a tool before.”

Now, the duplex built in his honor is set to receive a certificate of occupancy early to mid May. 

IVHFH Executive Director Scott Hawes highlighted the main features of the duplex. Housing five bedrooms and two bathrooms, the two mirror image sections total up to 2,000 feet. 

“Some that Grouch would certainly be proud of is how energy efficient the home is,” he said. 

The duplex is built with spray foam insulation, energy-star rated appliances and windows, and an energy recovery ventilation system to ensure clean and efficient air exchanges. 

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“And all that adds up to a home that reduces utility costs, but also greenhouse gas emissions,” Hawes said. 

For people like Jessica Andino, executive director of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, IVHFH’s work helps address problems they run into every day. 

Andino said the county has a low housing stock, which leads to a low vacancy rate. The low stock tends to hit the lowest wage earners the hardest.

“It’s like a game of musical chairs,” she said. “You have only so many houses to fill, and the slowest person, or the lowest wage earner, isn’t able to sit in any chair or fill any home. So what ends up happening is somebody that could afford maybe a $600,000 house takes a home that’s maybe $350,000.”

Andino said houses in Johnson County range anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000. She believes the duplex provides a great alternative for the families set to live inside. 

“They don’t have a landlord that may deviate or increase their rent over time; they have security in the fact that their children can live in this neighborhood as long as they wish, and then that money is going to equity,” she said. “I think it’s a really wonderful option when people have home ownership under their belt.”

Bonnett believes that the duplex will provide a more stable environment for its families. 

“That’s why William bought into us,” she said. “He did it because he saw how transformative home ownership is, and so I think the family being able to watch their kids play outside the home is  just a vision of what William always saw when he was helping on site.”