“I helped build those cabinets”

“I helped build those cabinets”

As a mother of three boys under the age of 11, Shirron is looking to invest in a home where she can raise her family. They’re currently renting a three-bedroom town home, which Shirron says they’ve simply outgrown.

“The little guy is in my room,” Shirron says of her one year old.

While attending a student-teacher conference, she learned about the opportunity to build and buy a new home through Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. The average mortgage payment for a new Milwaukee Habitat home is less than $950 per month and no down payment is required. What Shirron was most interested in was the opportunity for more space.

She wanted a four-bedroom home and loved the idea of building new. And with three boys running around, the idea of having a fenced-in backyard seemed like a perfect fit.

Shirron applied and qualified to build a brand new, four bedroom home in the Harambee neighborhood. She’s building on a block where nine new Habitat homes are going up this year alone.

Shirron sees this as an opportunity to provide more stability and comfort for her family in the near term, while investing in an asset for their future.

“I’ll have something I can pass along to the children,” she says. “Some place they can always come back to.”

As home values continue to climb, it’s no wonder that homeownership is a driver for generational wealth creation in this country. US homeowners have an average net wealth that is 400% greater than that of renters with similar demographics and earnings.

Shirron also appreciates how Habitat involves homeowners in the building process. As part of our program, Habitat homeowners help build their own home and the homes of their neighbors.

“It’s a great opportunity to build friendships,” she says. “Plus, I’ll be able to tell my kids ‘I helped build those cabinets.’”