Jesenia has never been able to afford her own home.
“I’ve always either rented apartments or hopped from house to house. It wasn’t really the greatest situation,” she explained.
Currently, she’s raising her five-year-old son in an apartment in Cape Coral and lives with a roommate to help afford the cost of the unit. But with her roommate moving out soon and the lease approaching renewal, she’s facing a precarious living situation no parent wants to be in.
“I have worked hard to keep my head above water, especially being a single mom, working full-time and trying to be a present mother,” Jesenia said. “I am doing everything I can to provide for my son.”
Already established in Cape Coral with a stable job and her son in school, Jesenia turned to Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties to partner on building and purchasing a home. With help from friends and family, and financial and volunteer support from sponsor FineMark National Bank and Trust, the walls of her future home are now standing.
“It’s life-changing for someone to be a new homeowner,” said Fort Myers President of FineMark National Bank and Trust and Habitat Board Member Tiffany Williams. “To support that and Jesenia’s journey is incredibly important to us.”
Jesenia is partnering with Habitat by putting in sweat equity, going through financial literacy courses, saving for closing costs and meeting regularly with a HUD-certified housing counselor.
75% of families partnering with Habitat to build a home are female-headed households. She’s determined to close on her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home and earn the ability to take care of herself and build her own future.
“To see our own community come together, rally and help these new homeowners, it’s so heartwarming,” Williams added.
“Having a stable place to live that I can be able to raise my son, I’m so excited and fortunate to be able to provide that for him,” Jesenia said.
