Habitat Heartland Announces Homeowner Family in Stratford!
Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario is excited to announce that a family has been approved for homeownership in Stratford and will move into their new home this fall!
Claire and her children, Cameron and Megan, have been busy working on their volunteer hours and, like all Habitat families, qualified for housing based on three criteria; the need for housing, an ability to pay an affordable mortgage and a willingness to partner with Habitat. Their home is particularly special because Habitat purchased it from a former Habitat family and will resell it to Claire and her family. One Habitat home has now brought two Stratford families strength, stability and self-reliance.
Claire’s Story
“As parents, we try to provide the best for our children and make sure that they are always safe. Finding secure, affordable housing where we live is next to impossible, and life as a tenant has been very stressful. We were “reno-victed” once and the fear that it might happen again was a weight that constantly rested on my shoulders.
I have a job that I love as an Early Childhood Educator. As much as it feeds my passion for teaching, the salary can make it a struggle to provide for my children. It was discouraging that I was working so hard as a single mom, yet never gaining ground in my life. My income went towards paying inflated rental prices while knowing I would never be able to save enough for a down payment.
I applied to Habitat for Humanity knowing that this program would be my only chance to own a home. When I got the letter saying we had been accepted into the Habitat homeowner program, it was the best Christmas present ever! Recently, we received the joyful news that there is a house for us here in Stratford. My two teenaged children Cameron and Megan are so grateful for this opportunity. They are proud to say we own our house, and that we worked together as a team to make our dream a reality. Knowing that we would have a safe, affordable home that would be ours was the best feeling in the world. We now have control over our own home. It will be a place where I can take care of my children and parents. Knowing that we have our own home makes the future seem so much brighter.”
