FAMILY AND CURRENT HOUSING
Future homeowner Latasha Gordon and her two children, Jaliyah and Jairius, are currently living in a private rental home in Canton. Although the home is livable, Latasha is frustrated by the fact that every window in the home is nailed shut and without air conditioning, it can become uncomfortably hot in the summer. A lack of insulation results in the opposite problem in the winter when she struggles to keep the two story home warm. There have also been issues with mice, squirrels, and other rodents finding their way into the home via holes in the ceiling. Latasha has also expressed her frustration regarding paying rent month-after-month on a home that doesn’t truly belong to her, as well as her desire to provide her children with a stable home environment. Jaliyah is thirteen and enjoys cheerleading and helping lead praise and worship dance at church. Nine-year-old Jairius is in the fourth grade and loves baseball. The family enjoys playing tennis, swimming, hiking, and just spending time together.
A BRIGHT FUTURE
Although Latasha has not been involved in the program long, she is already proving her commitment to the program by working hard to complete sweat equity hours on worksites and at ReStore. She is working to complete the ten-week House2Home education series where she’s learning valuable skills regarding homeownership, maintenance, and personal and financial wellness. In addition to completing the weekly Habitat sweat equity hours and raising her children, Latasha works hard to provide financially for her family. She has been employed as a medical billing receptionist at Canton Pediatrics for over seven years. Although sometimes doing all this can seem like a lot, Latasha is committed to making a short-term sacrifice for the long-term benefit of owning her own home and providing a safe, decent, affordable place for her family to live and grow. “I am so excited about being a homeowner,” Latasha said. “Having a home to call my own for myself and my children means so much. And we’ll even be able to open the windows!”
