family and current housing
After a decade of living in SMHA (Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority) rentals, Jillian is ready to take the next step in providing safe, decent, affordable housing for her family by purchasing a home through the Habitat for Humanity program. Prior to her current rental, Jillian and her son lived in a high crime and drug neighborhood. She was able to move to a different SMHA rental roughly five years ago but continues to deal with various issues. Her vehicle has been broken into five times and there is water damage in the home’s bathroom and basement. One of her basement windows was busted out and, although she was promised it would be fixed, it remains covered only by a piece of plywood. Also of concern to Jillian is the location of the home because it sits directly beside a petroleum refinery. There is a constant, strong smell of gasoline and oil, occasional thick smoke, and weekly testing of sirens and other equipment that make her nervous about their safety. While thankful for the housing SMHA has provided, Jillian is ready to make the transition to homeowner and provide her son, Gabriel, with a more permanent, stable home. Thirteen year old Gabriel is in the eighth grade, loves nature, and enjoys studying other cultures. Right now he is learning Japanese and dreams of one day traveling to Japan.
a bright future
While waiting for the day to purchase her home, Jillian is working hard to complete the Habitat program by investing hours of sweat equity at ReStore and on worksites. She will soon complete the ten week House2Home education series to learn valuable skills regarding homeownership, maintenance, and personal and financial wellness. Although it sometimes seems overwhelming to balance raising Gabriel, her job as a healthcare patient services representative, and completing the Habitat program, Jillian is committed to making a short term sacrifice for the long term benefit of owning a home. When asked what difference owning a home will make in her life, Jillian gave a compelling list: "I will have a more affordable mortgage, pride in ownership, the blessing of owning an asset, and moving closer to my goals.
