Ray’s Path to Affordable Homeownership in Calgary
Future Habitat homeowner Ray’s journey to affordable homeownership begins back in 2001. By chance, Ray was visiting the United States from when Kuwait was invaded. He decided, for his safety, to stay with his family instead of returning to his home in the Middle East.
Starting a New Life in Canada and Building Stability
Ray applied for Canadian citizenship in 2003 after being detained for more than three months due to immigration issues following his abrupt move. Since becoming a Calgarian, Ray has worked his way up the chain to become an Operations Associate. His dream is to open a pizza and shawarma restaurant one day. He and his family stay busy in their day-to-day life with movies, swimming, the park, and generally being on the move.
How Rising Housing Costs Affected Ray’s Family
Unaffordable housing has been a source of anxiety for Ray and his family in recent years. “I honestly didn’t think I would ever be able to own a home with house prices getting insanely high,” says Ray.
Challenges of Renting and Outgrowing Their Space
In their current rental, Ray and his three children Raeanna, 14, Everleigh, 8, and Masari, 3 have their own rooms, but they are quickly outgrowing their space. Ray also has concerns about his family’s safety in their neighbourhood – with traffic and thefts causing concern for Ray as a single parent.
The Impact of a Habitat for Humanity Home
However, future homeowner Ray beams with pride when talking about what his new Habitat home will provide for him and his children. “Our Habitat mortgage will actually be less than what we are paying for rent right now.” Ray and his children look forward to stepping through the door of their own home for the first time. Ray even tells us how he has been having dreams about just standing in his new Habitat home.
Financial Stability and New Opportunities for the Future
The affordability of his Habitat mortgage allows Ray to think about saving for the future, including, for the first time in a long-time family vacations. The thought of vacationing with his children is a welcome break from rent, bills, and trying to save for a down-payment.
A Life-Changing Moment: Being Accepted into the Habitat Program
Reminiscing on the phone call that changed their future, the whole family remembers their celebration. Everybody was so excited when he came home with the news that they were going to be buying a new home which would be theirs for a long, long time. In fact, one of his coworkers will be moving into the same development and their children are already planning playdates.
Watching Their Affordable Home Take Shape
With their home now under construction, the family has regular drives planned to drive past the site and watch their home be built. Ray can’t wait to use the skills he is gaining on the construction site during his volunteer hours to continue to improve his home with his kids. He thinks about adding gardens in the backyard among other plans which would not be possible at a rental.
Thinking about what home means to him:
“Home is a big word, to be honest. It’s something yours at the end of the day. Something you can call your own.”
Looking Forward to Moving Into Their Habitat Home
Although it will be a while before the family moves into their Habitat home, it doesn’t stop them from dreaming about painting walls without asking for a landlord’s permission, among other hangups with their current rental. In the meantime, Ray and his family will be leaving regular tire tracks past the construction site, watching their home be built piece-by-piece.
