Walking through Habitat’s doors for the first time, Chandra recalls feeling a little nervous, but at the same time, hopeful. As a single mom, finding a decent and affordable place to live has been difficult, so currently, Chandra lives in an unsafe neighborhood where crime is a major concern. “Since I’ve lived here, there have been two shootings, about three homicides, and I’ve lost count of how many fistfights I’ve seen,” Chandra says. With a toddler to protect and care for, she doesn’t feel safe going outside at all.
“I wasn’t raised this way. When I was young, I played outside all the time,” Chandra says. “I’d like to provide that for my daughter someday.”
Chandra’s apartment is small, so she and her daughter, Camryn, have no choice but to share a room and a bed. There’s also a major repair needed in the bathroom that hasn’t been addressed by the landlord, which makes Chandra worry even more about her daughter’s safety.
Having an affordable home that provides her daughter with the safety and stability she deserves is exactly what Chandra wants. That’s why she decided to partner with Habitat. Since then, she’s been working on her sweat equity hours and has enjoyed laying floors and feeling the satisfaction of a job well done. She’s also been taking homeownership and financial education classes to help prepare her for homeownership.
“Having a home will give me the ability to just stand on my own two feet,” Chandra says. “I’ll be proud of having a goal – something that I’ve wanted – and having met that goal.”
As she gets closer and closer to her closing date, Chandra says she’s really looking forward to getting her daughter into her own room and having a little bit of her own personal space back. But mostly, she’s ready to be living somewhere that feels safe. A place that she and Camryn can call home.
