One year ago we joined Ashley and Hunter for a dedication ceremony at their newly refurbished home in Renton, WA. The family was thrilled to move into their two-bedroom unit, and excited to raise a family in such an amazing neighborhood!
Before they found Habitat, the family was living in a cramped one-bedroom apartment in an aging building. The walls were paper-thin, there was frequent drug use in the complex stairwells and significant traffic noise. Things needed to change, but homeownership still seemed like a distant and unobtainable goal.
One day while driving through Sammamish, Ashley saw a Habitat for Humanity sign in front of our construction site and decided to learn more. She attended a homeowner meeting and officially applied. She was thrilled when she found out that she had been accepted into our homeownership program.
In place of larger mortgage payments, Habitat SKC homeowners are asked to put in 250 hours of “sweat equity.” Types of sweat equity can range from helping with repairs and construction to volunteering in one of our stores. Homeowners can also meet their sweat equity requirements by taking Habitat education classes which gives them the skills needed to buy and maintain their homes.
Ashley says the hours volunteering went by fast, and she enjoyed helping. Everyone working alongside her in the stores was encouraging, and she found herself looking forward to her shifts. Ashley ended up working with Habitat homeowner Ortencia at the Auburn store (who was also completing her sweat equity requirements) and they became fast friends.
“It’s great knowing this kind of support is out there. Without this program, and without going through these classes – I would have never known being a homeowner was even possible. It’s great feeling stable, and knowing I won’t have to move every time the rent is raised.”
As part of her sweat equity requirements, Ashley attended several Habitat classes including our home maintenance and home insurance course. She found them very helpful and appreciated that they helped her understand complicated homebuying jargon.
Ashley loves knowing this new home will a better place for her son to grow up – they are near a park and an elementary school for when he gets older. We are so happy to have Ashley and Hunter as part of our Habitat family and always look forward to seeing their smiling faces!