Meet Our Homeowners

Please Welcome our New NRP Phase II and Clarksburg Homeowners

 

Anteneh and Melkame moved in 2007 from Ethiopia to Maryland to start a new life.  They currently have one son.  The family was so excited and ready to purchase a home from Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County. The family of three lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Silver Spring.  The building had poor security and even worse maintenance.  The floors and carpets were very dirty, which caused breathing problems for their young son.  The fixtures in the bathroom leaked and they were coming away from the wall.  Sadly, roaches and mice were common sights in the kitchen.  Anteneh and Melkame reported these issues – and many more – to the apartment owners but no one ever came to fix the problems.

When the family heard the news from Habitat they were very excited and couldn't believe it. As the family puts it, they are now finally “out of jail” and their son can run and play freely.

 

Lakishia rented an apartment in Germantown with her mother and one-year-old daughter. There were many issues that concerned Lakishia from the start. The foundation was cracking and the air conditioner unit was covered in mildew that created a lingering, unpleasant odor. The paint was peeling and Lakishia worried her young daughter would eat it get sick. The development was thirty plus years old and none of the appliances were energy efficient. “I could totally feel the pinch, especially during the winter months,” Lakishia said.

Because of the economy, Lakishia had trouble finding a job after she finished her undergraduate degree. However, once the economy picked back up, she found a research and development position at a biotech company in Gaithersburg. With a secure job in Gaithersburg, Lakishia quickly moved to Montgomery County to save money and time commuting to work, but was unable to find a decent, affordable place to call home.

When Lakishia received the call from Habitat saying that her family was selected to purchase a home from Habitat she could barely contain herself. Her family cannot believe she will purchase a new home with a thirty-year, 0% interest loan. Lakishia knows that purchasing a Habitat home will give her family stability.

 

Before purchasing their Habitat home, Melissa, Edgar and three-year-old Gabriela all lived in one bedroom. Not a one bedroom apartment, one bedroom in a two bedroom apartment. There was no room for storage and Gabriela could not play in the living room or make noise because it would disturb the other occupant. She was constantly fussy and did not have any space to play because of the crowded living situation. All of this changed when Melissa and Edgar were selected to purchase their own home through HFH-MC. “With the current economy, it seemed like the dream of owning a home would have been a long term goal of 10 years! By then my daughter would have already been almost grown up and wouldn't have been able to ever say "I grew up in that house,” Melissa said.

Originally from Guatemala, Edgar works for a local flooring company but spends much of his free time working on cars; one day he hopes to open his own mechanic business. Melissa works at a local bank and loves her job as a financial consultant where she has learned about money management and finances. Melissa grew up in Florida and used to become homesick often, but their new Habitat home will help to make Maryland their real home. Melissa and Edgar married at a young age and were unable to focus on saving for the future. Now, they can focus on thriving, instead of surviving. Melissa looks forward to decorating her new home but Gabriela might be the most excited because she will finally have plenty of space to play.

 

Originally from Brooklyn, Richard and Cecily have been married for 16 years and have four children. The family has lived in Montgomery County for the last five years and even though they enjoy living in this area, it has not always been easy. The family was homeless for a few months during the summer of 2006 but Richard and Cecily successfully prevented their family from hitting rock bottom. With the support and guidance of a transition housing agency, they managed to enter into a “rent to own” agreement on a townhome which gave the family some much needed relief knowing they were on the right track. That was true until they received notice that the owner of the property would need to sell and the family would again have to find permanent housing.  

Like many of our families, Habitat came along at exactly the right time. Richard and Cecily were thrilled when they purchased a home from Habitat with a 0% interest 30-year mortgage. “I’m excited that my family can experience owning a home...and our children can enjoy their new neighborhood,” said Richard. Being gifted in the areas of music, comedy, and sports, the family had quite a celebration when they learned of the good news from Habitat. Moving into their new home is one of the last moves that family plans to make for a very long time.

 

Melissa is a hardworking single mother with two daughters; one is four, the other is five years old. They lived in a basement apartment because it was in a reasonable neighborhood that was not as expensive as other places. She soon discovered the apartment was illegal. The space had very poor heating and cooling; which lead to the family being uncomfortable during all seasons. The poor ventilation was one of the reasons why there was mold in certain areas. There were also many bugs and Melissa found herself vacuuming sometimes three times per day. Stability and consistency were the only things Melissa wanted for her girls; she could not wait until they could have a normal bedtime routine and eat dinner as a family at an actual kitchen table. 

Her positive outlook, belief in herself, and hard work has paid off because she has purchased a home from HFH-MC with a 30 year, 0% interest mortgage and only 1% down payment.  Melissa understands that owning a home is a big responsibility, “I am so thankful that Habitat gives us information about buying and maintaining a home because maintenance is my biggest concern.” She wants to make sure the new home will be their home for a long time, “The best part is knowing the girls will have stability and make neighborhood friends.” 

 

Yousef and Dima are originally from Damascus, Syria, but they’ve lived in Montgomery County the majority of their lives. Yousef is a manager at a local restaurant but according to Yousef, Dima does the really hard work. She stays at home to care for their three young children all under the age of three! Their two bedroom apartment in Rockville was “very cozy” for the family of five. Two girls, age three and two years old, shared one bedroom and baby Joe slept with Yousef and Dima in the other bedroom. The apartment had a lot of maintenance issues, from bad doors to peeling paint, but the apartment conditions were nothing compared to the financial cost burden. More than 60% of their net income was spent on monthly rent and utilities.

Upon hearing the news of being selected to purchase a house form HFH-MC, Yousef looked up and said, “Praise God!” Dima and Yousef are so thankful that with Habitat’s assistance they can afford an opportunity for their children to grow up in a beautiful and safe community with good schools. Yousef said it best; “Purchasing a Habitat home gives us the sense of providing for our children without the great financial burden that usually comes with homeownership.”

 

Tsegaye and Shewa moved to Montgomery County in January, 2009 from Ethiopia with their two daughters. For the first six months, the family lived in an apartment with another family until they could find their own rental unit. The two bedroom apartment they found had some very serious health and maintenance concerns. The apartment building had chronic bed bug infestations as well as a thriving roach and mouse population that invaded every square inch. Even with all these issues and the poor condition of the apartment, the monthly rent was still very expensive for the working family.

The entire family is very happy they moved into an HFH-MC home. Tsegaye and Shewa are especially excited because their daughters will have a better quality of life and the new home will not negatively affect their health. Tsegaye and Shewa are ready to face the challenges of homeownership and the entire family is ready to live independently and welcome their new future together.