I was ashamed of the house we were living in. When we first moved in, the house had 5 red tags on it, no gas meter and no septic tank. We lived there for two weeks with no refrigerator, three months with no hot water. The house had two bedrooms, and unfinished basement and no central heating. I still wonder how we survived living there for 6 years. It was unsafe for my children… but the rent was only $350/month.
There’s nothing more important to Omar Lara and Judith Anaya than their family.
I couldn’t sleep the first couple of nights because I kept dreaming of building our new home.
Phillip and Heidi are planning on starting a tradition on each of their kids’ birthdays by marking their heights near a door frame in their new home. “This will give them security, letting them see how long they’ve been in a place, how much they’ve grown, and how far they’ve come,” says Phillip.
Angel’s family has had to overcome more life challenges than most.
At age 16, Naiely felt like her life was spiraling out of control. She and her mom, Thelma, struggled to afford housing in Denver, and were forced to frequently move. Naiely lost focus in school and her grades dropped. Then, she and her mom partnered with Habitat to own their own home, and things began to turn around.
