Habitat homeowners Sean and Erin celebrate their home dedication with their children outside their new home, as their kids wave American flags.
In 2020, Sean and Erin faced a reality familiar to many young families: the high cost of rent and the new responsibilities of parenthood becoming overwhelming.
With each of them working full-time and childcare expenses piling up, they made the decision to move in with family to save money for a home. What was meant to be a temporary arrangement turned into a long-term living situation with two households living under one roof. “Our goal ultimately was to own a home,” Erin recalled. However, finding a home proved to be a challenge.
Sean had secured a stable job, and they were ready to start house hunting. Yet, as they searched, they found that everything was just out of their price range. They held onto hope that the market would improve, but then Hurricane Ian hit and any chance of finding affordable housing seemed to vanish.
In search of a solution, Sean and Erin turned to Habitat for Humanity. “We came to Habitat really desperate to try and find some sort of option for affordable housing for our family,” Erin said.
The process wasn’t easy. Sean juggled his full-time job, and the 300 hours of sweat equity required of Habitat homeowners. His efforts were spent not only on their future home but also on building homes for other Habitat families.
During the process, Sean and Erin received news that they were selected for a four-bedroom Habitat home. Initially, they joked that they didn’t need that much space, but as fate would have it, they learned they were expecting another child.
For Sean and Erin, their new home is more than just a place to live; it’s the foundation for their children’s future. “For so long, it’s been, ‘This is just temporary, we can do it,’” Erin said. “Now we no longer have to say it’s temporary.”
