Habitat for Humanity welcomed six families into home ownership last week at a ceremony in the community of Ravenswood in Airdrie. In attendance were many of the sponsors, suppliers, trades, and community partners who contributed to make home ownership a reality for these six families.
“Many families are working hard to make ends meet – sometimes with one parent working two or three jobs,” said Michelle Rhode, Director of Family Services and Volunteer Services for Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta. “But these families want the same things that everyone does – a stable home so that their families can thrive. Today, the community has come together to ensure that the past struggles of these families do not define their futures.”
Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown and Blake Richards, MP Banff-Airdrie, were in attendance to welcome these six families into their new homes and offer their support.
“It’s a very exciting day and I’m very humbled to be in the presence of so many people making a difference in the lives of others,” said Mayor Brown. “I want to sincerely thank you on behalf of the City of Airdrie, and we look forward to building more homes in the future and the ways that we can support that.”
These six families, 11 parents and 14 children, will all purchase and move into their new Habitat homes by the end of November.
“We are so grateful and so proud to be a part of the Habitat for Humanity family, and just as grateful and proud to be part of the Airdrie community,” said Nichole, Habitat home owner and mother of three children, Robert, Mykayla and Michael. “We are now free to experience this life inside the threshold of stability, safe and sound in our place we now call home. Thank you for being our village and raising us up. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Habitat homes are truly a labour of love, built with a tremendous amount of support from the community. The Government of Alberta, Qualico Communities, Genworth Canada and FortisAlberta have all been generous supporters of these homes in Airdrie, along with many local trades and suppliers that donate building materials and labour to make home ownership possible for families.
“Qualico Communities has been working with Habitat for Humanity for many years to give a hand-up to families, and we’re excited and thankful to be part of it,” said Cheryl Heilman, Marketing Manager of Qualico Communities.
Affordable home ownership builds long-term stability and self-reliance, empowering families to invest in their futures and creating lasting benefits for their children. Each family has worked to build their homes, and will purchase them with affordable mortgage of no down-payment, no interest, with monthly payments set to their income level. This will give them the financial stability to make other important investments in their families’ futures.
These six homes are part of several developments Habitat is currently working on. Other projects include 24 homes in Pineridge, two homes in Redstone, five homes in Bowness and several upcoming developments in Calgary and across southern Alberta.