Help Local Families: Advocate for CalHome

“Owning my home means my family and I have somewhere warm, comfortable and safe to be. Somewhere we can each have our own space and be ourselves. A place to create lasting memories of laughter and love.”

Affordable homeownership has many fundamental impacts on a family – the feeling of stability, ability to save and more financial independence, equity building – the list is long. Monica and her family who moved into their Redwood City home in 2022 have experienced those things, and their experience highlights the more personal but just as important effects of owning your own home – pride of homeownership, being able to make it your own and having a safe space to be truly yourself.

“Owning my home means my family and I have stability, security, and a sense of pride. It gives us a foundation to build our future, invest in our community, and provide a safe space where memories are made.”

Isabel and Saul moved into their Redwood City Habitat home in 2022. Their family of four has enjoyed the stability they have found through homeownership and the growth they have experienced for their two sons.

“Owning my home means being able to feel secure. It also means that I can make plans for the future knowing how much money I will have available to set aside monthly to guarantee that my plans will come true within a certain time frame. Before owning my home, my plans seemed more like fantasy, or unattainable dreams. I planned in my mind but had no idea when or whether I would realize these plans.  

Now, my family and I know that we can plan a trip, we can visualize a better car, a higher degree in our education because we don’t have to be constantly concerned about rent increases and the possibility of having to move.    

Living in Silicon Valley but not being in a high pay tech job puts a lot of essential workers like me, an elementary school teacher in a limbo, but the work of Habitat for Humanity offers people in my situation a concrete opportunity to accomplish something that would be hard to do without it. Thus, I am grateful that I received the chance to become a homeowner with Habitat’s support.” 

“Owning my home means my family and I have stability, safety, and a place we can truly make our own. It’s allowed us to stay close to school, work, and community, and has given my children the security of knowing they have a permanent home.”

Stability is a word we hear from homeowners time and again, it’s a word that comes up so often as it is a vital and tangible outcome of owning a home. Since moving in, Kristen has experienced this stability first hand, and is building a foundation for her sons, who themselves are fifth generation San Franciscans, and enabling them to stay close to their deep roots and network.

“Owning our home provides a profound sense of security and stability, a solid foundation for my children to grow and thrive. It’s more than just bricks and mortar; it’s the embodiment of my dreams, representing years of hard work and dedication. The opportunity to build equity and create lasting memories within our own walls is priceless, and we are deeply grateful to Habitat for Humanity for helping this dream become a reality for many families.” 

Priscilla’s family became homeowners through our affordable homeownership program in 2022. Priscilla worked hard to achieve homeownership and finds satisfaction in her hard work paying off for her family both for the short and long term.