Changing the Trajectory: LaDonna’s Homeownership Journey

Changing the Trajectory: LaDonna’s Homeownership Journey

Because of her determination and sacrifice, LaDonna is finally creating the life she has long worked toward. As a mother of three girls, she is driven to give them the best and to show them that they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.

“I’m obsessed with trying to better my situation,” LaDonna said. “How can I make my situation better, how can I show my daughters they can do more.”

Years ago, LaDonna lost her job and had to rely on credit cards to get by. This resulted in bad credit and overwhelming debt. Through hard work and perseverance, she is now in a position to make her biggest financial investment yet: homeownership.

Through Milwaukee Habitat’s Affordable Homeownership program, LaDonna is building a brand-new, four-bedroom home for her and her daughters.

“I’m proud of myself,” LaDonna said. “It’s crazy when you get in that predicament and just how much debt you get into. Debt accrues interest and it’s hard to get out of when you’re in it. So to come out of that is major…The house is the reward for all the work I put in. This is the reward for prioritizing your responsibilities and paying bills on time and making sacrifices.”

Because of LaDonna’s financial struggles, she made it a priority to increase her knowledge in financial literacy. She wanted to better herself and make sure she never ended up in that situation again.

“This house is an investment, LaDonna said. “It’s an asset that can increase in value. I’ve learned more about financial literacy, diversity, investment, why investing is important, and learned the value of being a homeowner.”

This knowledge, paired with her confidence, played a major role in LaDonna’s success, and it’s something she wants to pass on to her children.

“I am pushing my next generation forward,” LaDonna said. “I want them to have more knowledge than I had, more opportunities to feel like they can do more earlier on. If you feel like you can do it, you won’t have the same insecurities or limitations to slow you down. You’ll be confident.”

Like their mother, LaDonna’s girls are motivated and hard-working. LaDonna has set them up to find the success she hopes for them.

“My 11-year-old loves volleyball,” LaDonna said. “She is amazing at it and I’m hoping I can put her on a national team. She’s also hilarious and witty. All three of my daughters go to a bilingual school and know Spanish. The twins are in the outward bound program at Marquette that helps introduce them to college and earn college credits.”

They also recognize how significant homeownership is for their mom.

“All of my kids are extremely supportive,” LaDonna said. “They say ‘Momma you are so strong.’ They watched everything. They know the struggles…They are happy about it. They are more happy that I accomplished it.”

Besides the support of her daughters, LaDonna is surrounded by the Habitat community and will have support every step of the way.

“I love the continued support,” LaDonna said. “I’m huge on village and community. You all at Habitat are awesome for that. You can’t do anything major without a village. You need a village to accomplish major goals over a period of time.”

At the end of her homeownership journey, LaDonna and her family will walk through the door and know they are standing in their forever home. 

“We did it,” LaDonna said. “It’s going to be close to the heart. I’ll be feeling that moment super close to the heart.”

LaDonna knows that the impact of homeownership does not stop when they walk through that door; it lives on for generations.

“Homeownership will mean everything,” LaDonna said. “It’s the message that I’m going to be giving off to my girls. This is literally going to change the trajectory of my family. I’m the first one out of my immediate family to be a homeowner. Then someday I’ll look up and my kids are going to be buying their first house. This is changing the trajectory.”

In a few months, as LaDonna and her daughters settle into their new home, she can look around and know that the walls were built by her perseverance, strength, and the village that surrounds her.