home is beautiful

2020 has proven that home is more than just a place to sleep at night. We know that, for many, home means safety and hope, but it also means better health and financial stability. In addition to our homes having bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms, our homes have stretched this year to become hair salons, offices, classrooms, and gyms. 

Home is everything. The opportunity to own an affordable home truly makes a huge difference now and for years and generations to come. 

Home has meant something different to each of us, and to Katie, a new homeowner through Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity, “Home is… beautiful!” Katie and her family moved into their home three months ago, and for Katie and Dale, homeownership is something they’re proud to have achieved. 

“On November first when we went and paid our mortgage the first time, I can’t even explain the feeling that Dale and I had. We were both standing at the teller crying at the bank. It just felt like such a great accomplishment because we worked hard for this.” 

Katie and Dale thought that their low credit score might prevent them from ever purchasing an accessible home for their family. “We couldn’t get a home loan. Especially a loan big enough to cover a handicap-accessible home being built.” When they found out they’d have to move out of the home they rented, they started looking for places that would better suit their family, especially for their son Anthony, who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. Without accessible homes available to rent, they considered buying a manufactured home to fix up, but met dead ends there too. When they learned about Habitat for Humanity, Katie said they decided to give it a shot and submitted their application.  

“We thought we’d try to get into a house that he’d be more comfortable in. That we’d all be more comfortable in.” 

 Habitat partners with homeowners like Katie and Dale who aren’t able to qualify for traditional mortgages. Habitat homeowners make mortgage payments that are designed to be affordable, but Habitat still has to raise funds up front to construct each home. Lakes Area Habitat was able to utilize funding from Habitat Minnesota to have the resources to build Katie, Dale, and Anthony’s home. According to Kevin, executive director of Lakes Area Habitat, it was “truly critical for this project to have the funding fill the gap between what we were able to raise and what we needed to pay for the project.” 

This funding from Habitat Minnesota was especially necessary as donations slowed at the onset of the pandemic. “It was the difference between a fully funded house and one that would have had a shortage,” Kevin explained. 

Affordable homeownership for families like Katie’s across the state is possible in part through support from Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota. We’re asking you to make home a reality for more Minnesotans by contributing to Habitat Minnesota today! Your gift will have a positive impact on families throughout Minnesota, helping Habitat homeowners achieve a better life for themselves and their families. 

Thank you in advance for your consideration of Habitat Minnesota; your continued support means a stronger Habitat for Humanity around the state.