For nearly 16 years, Elsa has built a stable home for her family in the same downtown Calgary apartment.
It wasn’t the home she imagined for her three children, but it kept them close to school, close to their friends, and surrounded by the routines that mattered most. As a single mother, stability was something she worked hard to protect.
After years of renting, Elsa is preparing to become an affordable homeowner with Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta.
Her future home in Livingston is an opportunity to give her children more space, more privacy, and the security that comes with having a home to call their own in a safe community.
A home that no longer fits
Elsa’s family has outgrown their two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment.
Her children, ages 17, 16, and 10 years old, all share one bedroom. Her son sleeps on the top bunk while his two sisters share the bottom bunk. Storage is limited, so clothing is spread between shared closets, dressers, and Elsa’s bedroom. Mornings often begin with everyone waiting their turn to use the bathroom.
As her children have grown into teenagers, Elsa has watched their need for personal space grow with them.
“I know they need space,” she said.
The apartment has also brought challenges that go beyond its size.
Located below street level, the family looks directly onto the sidewalk outside their windows. Elsa worries about safety and keeps the windows closed during the summer. After several vehicle break-ins and years of living in a busy downtown neighbourhood, she rarely feels comfortable letting her children spend time outside on their own.
For Elsa, the responsibility of keeping her family safe never really stops.
A second opportunity
Elsa first applied to Habitat’s affordable homeownership program a year prior. She completed the application process and came close to being matched with a home before learning another family had been selected.
“I was very disappointed,” she said.
When another opportunity became available, she applied again. This time, she was matched with a home in the Calgary community of Livingston.
She was grocery shopping when she received the good news, “It felt like [it was] too good to be true. I didn’t know if I was dreaming.”
Her children are excited and are processing that this is real and something guaranteed. Elsa’s youngest daughter is ready to move and eagerly asks her mom every day “when are we going to be finished the [volunteer] hours?”
Looking ahead
Like every Habitat homeowner, Elsa is completing 500 volunteer hours before receiving the keys to her home.
Balancing those hours with full-time work isn’t always easy, but she’s determined to finish. Her oldest daughter plans to volunteer alongside her this summer and she has a community of friends that are committed to helping her complete the hours.
For Elsa, becoming a homeowner isn’t just about having a larger house. It’s about giving her children the space and stability they’ve never had.
A place where they can each have room to grow. A home where they can invite friends over. A neighbourhood where they can safely enjoy being outside.
When asked what home means to her, Elsa didn’t talk about square footage, homeownership, or equity.
She answered with two simple words.
“Safe. Confidence.”
After 16 years of renting, Elsa is preparing to give her children both.
Her future home represents more than extra bedrooms or another bathroom. It represents the chance to build confidence, create new memories, and give her children a place where they can simply be kids.
