A Weight Lifted

A Weight Lifted

When Sparkle first bought her home, it was unlivable. She has been living in a rental while trying to figure out repairs on her new home. The home she bought did not have heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electric work, a safe porch, a decent floor, and there is a leak in the roof that needs to be fixed. 

“At the beginning, the house was terrible,” Sparkle said.

Milwaukee Habitat’s Critical Home Repair program is helping make some of these repairs affordable. The program is working to bring affordable home repairs to local homeowners, like Sparkle, to keep their homes safe and livable. 

Through the Milwaukee Habitat Critical Home Repair Program, homeowners can get up to 80% of the project costs covered based on income, a 0% interest loan on repairs, and flexible repayment options.

Sparkle knows that if she was not able to find a program like Habitat’s Critical Home Repair program that helped make the repairs affordable, she would have to sell her home. 

“This is a blessing. Part of my stress was ‘What am I going to do?’… I’m just happy now that Habitat is on the job, because that part of the stress is over,” she said.

Sparkle wants to live in her own home to show her children the importance of hard work and never giving up. She is looking forward to the privacy of it for her and her kids.

“They are looking forward to it because it’s their own. They can paint the walls of their room,” Sparkle said. 

The home is also two blocks away from where Sparkle grew up. 

“I know the neighborhood very well, but there is more to it now. There is a community garden. It’s family oriented,” she said. “I’m comfortable with the neighborhood because it’s home to me.” 

Because of Milwaukee Habitat’s Critical Home Repair program, Sparkle will get the necessary repairs on her home and have a safe and comfortable place for her family to live. 

After signing the paperwork to get started on her repairs, Sparkle said, “Today this weight is lifted. I feel light. I’m almost in my house that I’ve dreamed to have forever.”