Jesselina grew up moving often. She, her mom, and her four siblings trekked from rental home to rental home.
That’s why it feels so significant to be buying her own two-bedroom home with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.
“I grew up with a single mom and we bounced around in rentals. I never thought it would be possible to own my own home,” shares Jesselina. “We could have really used Habitat.”
Jesselina’s experiences growing up led to her job in affordable housing, advocating for affordable housing policy with state and local officials. She’s also working on a master’s degree in public administration.
Habitat employees and volunteers renovated 11 one-story homes on High Street in Denver’s Cole neighborhood. Each of the units at High Street has solar panels and an all-electric heat pump, keeping utility bills low for homeowners. Jesselina will move from her studio apartment in Capitol Hill to her new home, which includes a front and back patio, backyard, and storage shed.
“I’ll have a lot more space,” shares Jesselina. “My mother is excited about helping me with the backyard.”
Jesselina is also excited that her mortgage will be lower than her current rent. She wants to make her home her own and decorate with vibrant colors – teal, orange, greens and magenta. And she’s looking forward to living in a quieter area of Denver.
“This home will let me save some money, and provide me with stability and a calmer atmosphere,” she shares. “In an apartment you hear everything. I look forward to having my family and little cousins sleep over.”
For her sweat equity hours with Habitat, she worked on her homes and those of her neighbors. Because Jesselina’s family never owned a home, she found Habitat’s homeowner classes very helpful. The classes included info about homeowner’s insurance, taxes, home repairs, preparing a will, and how to be a good neighbor.
“The good neighbor class was really nice,” she shares. “We didn’t interact with neighbors when I was growing up, so I am excited to meet my neighbors and build the community together.”
And to build that community, she has plans to celebrate and host in her new home.
“I’m going to have a big house warming party and invite my family and people who work at Habitat,” shares Jesselina. “It will great.”
“This home will let me save some money, and provide me with stability and a calmer atmosphere. ”
– Said Jesselina, Habitat Homeowner.
