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family and current housingCanton native Otisia Brooks heard about the Habitat homeownership program years before finally deciding to apply. She knew other families who successfully purchased their first home with the assistance of Habitat but was never sure it was the right time financially or personally to take on a mortgage. That all changed when she became pregnant with her fourth child and knew she wanted a stable, safe environment in which to raise him and his older siblings. Otisia’s housing background includes several years in SMHA (Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority), private rentals with a Section 8 voucher helping to offset costs, and most recently a private rental paying the full monthly rent. She is proud of how far she has come and is excited to know her next home will be one she owns! Currently Otisia and her kids live in a home with numerous structural problems. The roof leaks into one of the upstairs bedrooms and causes mold on the walls and ceiling. There is also mold in the basement bedroom of her oldest son, Jay’mier. The floor has weak spots throughout including broken boards under the carpeted steps and a weak spot in the upstairs bedroom floor that broke through when four-year-old Henry walked over it. Poor insulation in the kitchen has led to frozen pipes during the winter months and faulty electric results in blown fuses when appliances like a blender are used in a kitchen outlet. Otisia has also noticed that the stove/oven and the washer or dryer cannot be running at the same time without fuses blowing. Overall, the home has become more than Otisia is willing to pay rent toward each month and is oftentimes a hazardous place for her children. Otisia is proud of her four children and used words like “respectful,” “loving,” “energetic,” and “helpful” to describe them. She looks forward to creating memories in a new home that her children can cherish forever.
a bright future
Since joining the Habitat partnership, Otisia has invested numerous hours of sweat equity at ReStore, on worksites, and in House2Home education classes preparing for the transition from renter to homeowner. Otisia’s open, outgoing personality has made her an asset in classes as she willingly answers questions and shares her experiences with the other Partner Families. In fact, she so highly valued the sense of community in classes, she continued to faithfully attend even when her pregnancy was in the final stages and was disappointed to miss during the weeks of maternity leave. In addition to raising her children and completing Habitat sweat equity hours, Otisia has been employed as an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) for over fourteen years. Despite her busy schedule, Otisia always remains positive. “I’m looking forward to giving my children stability and a future,” explained Otisia. “I think this will give us a place to call home and somewhere they can always come and feel safe and secure.”
