Stories
Future Homeowner Ashley
For Ashley, homeownership with Habitat represents a step toward hope. When Ashley and her six-year-old twins move into their new Habitat home, it will signify
08 Mar, 2024
After living out of boxes for many years, this young family can’t wait to unpack.
Daniel and Jillian grew up in the Denver area, but had given up hope on raising their three children in their hometown – until they learned about homeownership with Habitat Metro Denver. In early 2023, they will move into their new three-bedroom home near Mestizo-Curtis Park, in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood.
“We’re just really excited that we can stay in Denver,” Jillian said. “Just four months ago, we’d given up on the idea of buying a house of our own”.
Daniel and Jillian have moved nearly every year as their family has grown. They have two boys, ages 6 and 1, and a daughter, age 4. They even moved to Kansas City for a year because of Denver’s housing costs, but moved back to be near family before their youngest son was born last year.
“When we move into our new home, the children’s toys will finally be unpacked for the first time,” Daniel said. “We basically lived out of boxes because we never knew when we were going to have to move again.”
Daniel works in construction, training installers and salespeople for a major window company. He’s also in school to become a youth trauma counselor. Jillian is a full-time wife and mother. For the last year, the family has lived in a 900-sq. ft., two-bedroom apartment in a subsidized housing development near Coors Field where the rent recently went up by $200 a month. “So much stress has left my body because I know we’ll be in our own home soon and our rent won’t be going up again,” Jillian shares.
As Daniel and Jillian work longside Habitat to build their new home, their children are learning about hard work and community. “From the sweat equity, they are learning about helping others,” said Daniel. “We’ve told our kids how other people are helping us – and that we’re part of a network of help.”
Jillian is looking forward to growing vegetables at their new home. She and her kids have grown pumpkins and cantaloupe in community gardens, but are excited to plant a space of their own. “Having a home of their own will give my kids a sense of belonging and stability for the first time.” Jillian said.
"Having a home of their own will give my kids a sense of belonging and stability for the first time"
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