Partner Families

Our Partner Families are on the road to homeownership.  In the year before moving into their Habitat homes, the Partner Families work on saving money for their first year's property taxes and homeowner's insurance. They also complete 300 hours of sweat equity which involves helping with the instruction of their home as well as the homes of other Partner Families.  In preparation for becoming homeowners, the partner families attend homeowner College, a series of classes ranging from financial management to home maintenance.  Becoming a Habitat home requires a lot of time and energy, but the reward is great!

Current Partner Families:

Fidencia stays busy raising her five active children (ranging in age from two to fifteen) and working full time at the MHMR Klaras Center for Families. The family rents a house that has serious structural and mold problems.  Fidencia says she looks forward to purchasing an affordable home with accessibility features that will allow her to safely raise her children including her daughter with disabilities.

Charlie and Patsy Tubbs have been living in their current home for over 20 years. They are now caring for Patsy's 74 year old grandmother along with their 21 year old daughter, 10 year old grandson and 3 year old granddaughter. They are all excited to get to move out of their inadequate 3 bedroom house and into a Habitat Home. Patsy has prior experience building other Habitat homes and can barely wait to get started on her own home. The Tubbs family is ready to take the necessary steps to owning their own Habitat home.

Fernando and Carmen Esqueda are caring parents and most recently grandparents. Their 21 year old daughter, who lives with them, just gave birth to twins. While they also have another 19 year old daughter, and 13 year old son living with them, they have deemed their current crowded living siuation inadequate. They have already helped one of their friends get a Habitat house and are more than willing to put in the time and effort necessary. In fact, after Carmen saw her friends obtain a Habitat house, she said, "she is motivated by thepossibility of owning our own home."

Arenia Ward has worked for Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center for over eight years and enjoys caring for her eleven-year-old great nephew.  Family, co-workers and friend told her they are thrilled to help build her house.  She feels it will be a wonderful reward to work and pay for her very own home.  Arenia enthusiastically declared. “I will help with everything to work towards building my house: serving meals, clearing lots, hammering…whatever I have to do, I’ll do it.”

Claudia Caro’s enthusiasm was almost uncontainable when she heard about Habitat and the opportunity it offered her to own her own home at an affordable price and a chance to transition out of subsidized housing.  “I want what’s best for my girls. I want this Habitat house for my girls,” she expressed while holding back tears.  She is the mother of two girls, ages seven and three.  Claudia has worked in environmental services with Crothall Healthcare Inc. for over three years and with Taco Cabana since the start of 2011.  She says she’s grateful for Habitat’s house purchase program without which homeownership for her and her family would be next to an impossibility.

Lula Green and her grandson are currently in a high cost, old house with little insulation.  To live in her current house, it is costing Lula more than half of her monthly income.  Lula would like to provide a well insulated, yet affordable home for her and her grandson.  She understands the amount of sweat equity hours this will take and says "I am willing to do all the hours myself" which shows her dedication and excitement to have a new home.  She has the support of family and church members to help her throughout the process.

Rodrigo and Natalie live with their newborn daughter in a home that they share with others.  The home has a number of electrical, plumbing, and cosmetic problems.  It is not well insulated which has been hard with the newborn during this very cold winter.  After hearing about Habitat, they decided to apply in hopes of satisfying their dream of owning their own home after their daughter was born.  "We would like a nice, safe home for our family that will allow our daughter to be comfortable."  Rodrigo and Natalie have been paying rent for some time now, and they would like to build some equity and wealth rather than throw away their money in rent.