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family and current housingDeborah Watson’s journey to homeownership has been a difficult one often marked by disappointment. In 2004 Deb and her husband moved to Massillon and entered into a land contract. When her husband unexpectedly passed months before the end of the contract, her income alone was insufficient to continue payments and she lost the house. Hoping for a fresh start, Deb and her son, James, purchased a mobile home hoping it would serve as a steppingstone and investment toward a future home. Instead, the roughly 40-year-old trailer has become a money pit. Deb has installed new flooring, patched the roof, and completed other repairs throughout. However, the floor of the trailer has several weak spots and the insulation underneath has been destroyed by mice and other animals. The windows throughout are an old, crank style and several do not completely close. To help the trailer’s original furnace keep up, Deb covers the windows with plastic and blankets to ward off a draft in the winter months. The bathtub faucet drips continuously and has damaged the bathroom floor. The entire trailer is sinking and becoming uneven which is causing the kitchen cabinets to pull away from the wall. Ten feet away from Deb and James’ trailer is one that has been vacant over fifteen years. It is falling apart and filled with mold, bugs, and animals including cats, raccoons, bats, and mice. The property manager knows about this trailer but hasn’t done anything to get rid of it or the pests. This, combined with rising lot fees and declining facilities in the trailer park, frustrated mother and son to the point of searching out other housing options. Having been denied for a conventional mortgage, Deb was delighted to learn her income would sustain a Habitat mortgage. Deb is so proud of James and his older sister, Jessica. “They both work so hard and are very independent,” she explained. “As their mother, I can say truthfully I am so very proud of them both.”
a bright futureThroughout their time in the Habitat program, Deb has partnered to invest numerous hours of sweat equity on worksites, in education classes, and at ReStore. Deb is especially excited to build alongside her children and create not just a house but lasting memories as a family. Although this is a busy time with Deb working fulltime and completing the housing program, she knows it is worth the sacrifice for the long-term blessing of a new home. When asked what she looks forward to most, Deb replied “Just knowing my family and I helped build it and being able to say it’s ours. I will be comfortable in my home and so happy to enjoy it with my family!”
