Cyndi wears a necklace with her daughter’s photo. She lost her to bone cancer two years ago. Photo by Jacques Durand Jr.
Cyndi is counting down the days until her family can finally have refuge in their brand-new, affordable Habitat home. The last few years have been full of unimaginable grief for her and her four children.
“We have overcome many obstacles to get to this point, yet we are still struggling with the loss of my daughter to bone cancer two years ago,” she said. “So, although it is a great blessing to be getting our own home, it is unfortunate that my daughter can’t be a part of the journey.”
Even though she works hard to create brighter futures for young children as a Pre-K teacher, her income was not enough to keep up with the skyrocketing rental and housing prices in Central Florida.
Many teachers, firefighters, nurses and others who make up the backbone of our community cannot afford the median-priced entry-level home in Central Florida — $325,000 in early 2023, according to American Enterprise Institute.
Cyndi and three of her children currently live in Section 8 subsidized housing, and it has also been tedious to stay in the federal program. She always knew she wanted to leave renting behind and become a homeowner.
“You’re paying all this money and it’s not going toward anything, so why not throw it into a mortgage? Something I can call my own,” she said.
Laying a foundation for herself & her kids
Cyndi and her children stand in front of their future Habitat home. Photo by Jacques Durand Jr.
She learned directly about Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County’s affordable homeownership program when she helped her mother qualify to purchase her Habitat home 15 years ago. “I helped her with her (volunteer) hours on her home,” she said.
She first worked with Habitat Orlando & Osceola staff to establish a financial plan to prepare her to qualify for the program. Through hard work and encouragement, she was approved for a Habitat home. Her kids are looking forward to decorating their rooms, and they’d love to get a basketball goal for the driveway.
She hopes becoming a homeowner will inspire her children to become homeowners themselves one day.
“I’m trying to instill that in them now – there’s nothing like having your own home,” she said. “If I can create that financial wealth for them now, they will be able to maintain that in the future.”
Her home will also allow her to work on her master’s degree and follow her dream of owning her own business one day. “I want to do something that helps other people,” she said.
Running her own show
Cyndi is scheduled to close on her Silver Pines Pointe home, generously sponsored by Orlando Magic, in October. She can’t wait to not have to depend on the housing authority or anyone else.
“Home is a place where I make the rules and I run the show,” she said. “Home means security and stability for me and my family. A place to call ours that we can live in forever.”
And to remember her daughter Jordan, her happy kid who loved to dance and tattle on her siblings, she will create a special wall with photos and butterflies and have a get-together every year on the child’s birthday.
“I will certainly make sure her memory lives on there,” she said.
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