A Place To Flourish

A Place To Flourish

From an early age, April experienced the value of a stable home.

“My grandma raised me and she always had her own home,” says April. “After bouncing around [as an adult], I wanted that same stability.”

April is a mother of two girls, Treasure and Cherish. Currently the girls share a room in the two bedroom apartment that April’s renting. Through Habitat’s first-time homeownership program, April is building and buying a brand new four bedroom home in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood. The extra space will make it possible for the girls to have their own rooms – something April knows will be important for their development.

“Once they have their separate spaces, they’ll be able to flourish,” says April. “Their creativity will go up. They can have time to themselves.”

While homeownership will have an immediate effect on her family’s lives, April is also looking towards the future.

“If you think about all that money you put into [renting] it isn’t yours,” she says. “Homeownership is a good investment that someday I can pass down.”

For many in this country, homeownership is a driver for generational wealth creation. In fact, U.S. homeowners have an average net wealth that’s 400% higher than that of renters.

In addition to the long term financial benefits, April wants this home to be a place where she can bring the family together. Her grandmother would often host holidays.

“Now that my grandma is getting older, I want to be able to host holidays,” she says. “And be proud of my house.”

April explored the open market for a home prior to applying to build a new home with Habitat. However, as a first-time homebuyer, she appreciated the level of education and understanding Habitat builds into the home buying process. Homeowners receive financial education and home maintenance courses, in addition to helping to build their home.

When thinking about what it’ll feel like when she closes on her new home, April says: “It’s going to feel like an overflow of joy. Just a blessing from God. Everything I’ve been praying for coming true.”