Putting Down Roots In Harambee

Putting Down Roots In Harambee

For Hsa Yu {pronounced: SAH YOU} homeownership is about building a stable environment for her two children, the youngest who was born just last year. Hsa Yu’s older daughter, Megan, turned eight over the summer. Hsa Yu is working hard to give Megan the home of her dreams.

“We live in a small apartment,” Hsa Yu says. “[Megan] always mentions she wants to live in a big house.”

Soon that dream will become a reality as Hsa Yu is building a brand new, three bedroom home in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood. It’s a home she knows will be an investment in Megan’s future.

“Renting you keep paying every year, but you don’t own that,” she says. “[Megan] can grow up in this home and we can save more.”

Hsa Yu had some very special help when we began construction on her home over the summer. Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff, and his family, worked alongside Hsa Yu to install deck boards in her new front porch. Brewers Community Foundation, in partnership with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, are sponsoring Hsa Yu’s home, helping her invest in the stability and equity of homeownership.

For many in this country, homeownership has been a driver for generational wealth creation. U.S. homeowners have an average net wealth that is 400% higher than that of renters with similar demographics and earnings.

By breaking down the barriers to affordable first-time homeownership, Milwaukee Habitat is working with Hsa Yu to put down roots in the area. She grew up in a small village in Thailand. When she moved to the US in 2012 she lived with relatives in the area until she could find a place of her own. But, as her daughter continues to grow up, she’s found the apartment increasingly smaller.

“I want a place where kids can have sleep overs,” Hsa Yu says. “My daughter wants her own room. I just want her to be happy.”

As Megan grows up, Hsa Yu wants this to always be a place where she can come back to.

“I want her to know where we came from,” Hsa Yu says. “When she grows up and goes off to college, I want her to know that this is home.”

Watch coverage from the build below!