Finding Community Through Homeownership

Finding Community Through Homeownership

Christina has wanted to move out of her rental apartment and invest of a home of her own. She’s looked on the open market but when she found Habitat, what she saw was ‘community.’

“Other homeownership [opportunities] don’t bring the community together like this,” says Christina. “I like that the community gets to know each other.”

Christina is investing in a four bedroom home in the Harambee neighborhood. She sees it as an opportunity to invest the money she’s currently spending on rent into an asset her family can rely on in the future. 

Christina is raising two children, Aiden and Carter, and they currently rent an apartment on Milwaukee’s north side. The owner of the property runs more than 3600 rental properties in Milwaukee – primarily throughout the city’s north and west sides. The owner has come under fire in recent years as one of the leading evictors in the city. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, in 2017, their holdings were behind more than one out of every 10 eviction cases filed that year. 

“It’s not worth the $1000 [per month] in rent,” says Christina. “I don’t even let my kids go outside and play because it’s not safe.”

Instead, Christina is building a brand new home where she’ll have a fenced in backyard, more room for her family, not to mention a second bathroom. She’s looking forward to having a place they can truly call their own. 

With the savings she’ll accrue with Habitat’s affordable mortgage, Christina can see more opportunities in the near and long term. 

“They want to go to college – this can go to savings,” she says. “I can put them into sports.”

Christina has worked extremely hard to put herself and her family in a position to buy this home. When asked what she plans to do once she gets the keys for the first time she says, “Just relax and enjoy it.”