“Mommy, I’m going to get you a house.”

“Mommy, I’m going to get you a house.”

“Mommy, I’m going to get you a house one day.”

Bernes’s five-year-old son was determined to buy his mom a house someday. Now, thanks to Milwaukee Habitat’s Affordable Homeownership program, that dream is becoming a reality, just in a slightly different way. 

Through the program, Bernes is building a brand-new home for her and her children, a place they can finally call their own. With four kids and one on the way, Bernes is excited to provide her children with the stability of homeownership.

“I feel like it’s time to own a home that my kids can grow in,” Bernes said. “They can come home when they go to college… I’m blessed to be in this program.”

Bernes has longed to move her family out of their current rental, where conditions have become difficult to live in.

“The apartment is a lot,” she said. “I feel like for what I pay a month, it should be able to look nice.”

Despite her efforts to maintain a clean and healthy space, Bernes has been battling ongoing issues, from mold in the bathroom to a broken stove and dishwasher. Her repeated complaints to the apartment manager have gone unanswered. She no longer feels safe or comfortable.

“Me and my kids are getting sick,” Bernes said. “You can tell the air is dirty. The vents are not clean. I need to get out. It’s not safe.”

Owning her own home will allow Bernes to finally take charge of her living space. 

“If I have my own space, I can fix things right away,” she said. “I can just get it done. If your home is nice, it makes you feel good and makes you want to be in your home.” 

While preparing to become a homeowner, Bernes is looking forward to the financial benefits of a Habitat mortgage.

The Brewers Community Foundation, the sponsor of Bernes’s home, raise walls alongside Brewer’s players Brandon Woodruff, Joey Ortiz, and DL Hall.

“[Habitat] is doing an amazing job building a brand-new house for a family,” she said. “It gives you a chance to grow when you own something. With the amount you pay in [a Habitat mortgage], you can save to follow your dreams, do more for your kids, and travel the world.”

For Bernes, those dreams include showing her children her home country. Born in Liberia, Bernes moved to New York with her father when she was a child. Now, she dreams of taking her children to visit her mother who still lives in Liberia.

“As a parent, you want to give your kids everything you want and get something they want or need,” Bernes said. “If you have extra money you can give them extra things because they deserve it. I can take my kids to Africa to see my mother and family in Liberia.”

Bernes is ready to finally become a Habitat homeowner and make her family’s dreams come true. 

“I can’t wait. I’m so happy to be in this program and to [own] this beautiful place and call myself a homeowner,” Bernes said.

While her son may not be the one buying the house, their shared dream of homeownership is becoming a reality. Together with the rest of the family, they will soon move into a home they can call their own.