Good News Tues. – August 25th

We’re back with another edition of Good News Tues to spread a little joy from our Habitat family to yours. We’re all in this together. Here’s hoping this brings a little light to your day. 

Building Hope in Midtown

Living in subsidized housing has been difficult for Precious and her two boys, Larry and Logan. When it comes to her family’s safety and stability, Precious sees Habitat homeownership as an opportunity to build a foundation for a brighter future.

Precious is raising her two boys in an apartment where rent is adjusted based on income.

“Whenever I get a raise, rent increases,” she says. “It’s like I’m taking a step back [every time my income increases]. There are things I want to do, but money is tight.”

She’s not alone. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s Cost of Living report, Milwaukee is “the most cost-burdened city in the Midwest for renters.” 1 in 3 Milwaukee renters pay half or more of their income on housing.

On top of the high cost of rent, Precious and her family have had serious safety concerns.

“We’ve gotten broken into a few times,” she says. “Once it was just three days before Christmas and they stole all of our gifts.”

For about that same as she’s paying to rent, Precious can afford to build this brand new three bedroom home (pictured with red siding) in Milwaukee’s Midtown neighborhood. It’s a bit of a homecoming for Precious, who lived in a house just blocks away growing up.

“My mom raised six kids and two nephews in a house just off of 24th place,” Precious says. “We ended up having to move and I remember her encouraging us to own.”

Now, Precious is getting just that opportunity as she’s begun building her own home. She was the first to raise the walls on a block that will soon be lined with Habitat homes.

With homeownership, Precious feels proud knowing when she gets her next raise, she’ll be able to invest that extra money right back into her family. She summed it up best: “You work hard for something and it pays off.