Building Stability In Midtown

Building Stability In Midtown

Like many of us, Shaquita values stability for her family. It’s something that was instilled in her at an early age by her mother.

“My mom always made sure we had a stable place to live,” she says. “When the family would outgrow it, then we’d move.”

But, Shaquita says, one thing her mother never did was own her own home. With four children at home, including twin one-year-olds, Shaquita is ready to pioneer a new path for her family.

“I’m a first generation college graduate and now I’ll be a first generation homeowner,” she says.

Shaquita’s new home, pictured in the center above, is one of five new homes being built on the corner of 26th and Lloyd in Milwaukee’s Midtown neighborhood. Volunteers have been busy on site helping to transform what was a plot of empty lots into a block lined with owner-occupied, brand new homes.

In this community of Habitat homeowners, Shaquita is looking forward to the stability of their location as well as the increased financial stability. At her current rental, the landlord just increased her rent by $150 per month. It’s an all-too-familiar trend for Milwaukee families struggling with the rising cost of housing in our city. 

With Habitat’s affordable mortgage, Shaquita says, “We won’t be living paycheck to paycheck. I’ll be able to save more.”

Those savings are an integral part of Shaquita’s plan to invest in her family and their future. The savings, she says, will help her afford advanced education where she has her sights set on earning her PHD in Administration in Higher Education. She’s also looking forward to setting aside money for family vacations.

“We never traveled when I was a kid,” says Shaquita. “I want to take them on trips together. They do so well in school, they deserve it.”

Shaquita’s 17 year old daughter, Destiny, plans to help her mom build their future home. Shaquita says when they got the news they’d been approved for the home, they were literally jumping for joy. They went to see the site of their future home and Destiny already began shooting videos for TikTok, where she plans to document the progress as they build together.

“It’s special that my daughter and I are going to be able to say ‘I helped build this home,’” Shaquita says.