Editor’s note: Adrienne closed on her home in July 2020. Congratulations to Adrienne and her family! Thank you to our amazing supporters who helped give Adrienne a hand up to homeownership.ย
Years ago, Adrienne applied for Habitat for Humanityโs homeownership program โ but didnโt meet the requirements. Habitat for Humanity uses those requirements to make sure homeowners are ready for the responsibilities and costs of homeownership.
Perseverance and patience kept Adrienne going on her journey to becoming a homeowner. Through her hard work, she now meets Habitat Orlando & Osceolaโs homeownership qualifications. She reapplied with Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County in January โ and was accepted.
The journey to homeownership requires self-assessment and action, Adrienne said. Future homeowners need to identify what prevents them from succeeding โ and then learn and build from there.
โIf more people followed that in other aspects of their life, not just homeownership, they would be more successful,โ Adrienne said.
She wants to give her sons, now 13 and 11 years old, the same opportunities and advantages other children enjoy. The family currently shares a single bedroom โ not an ideal situation, but one that they make work, Adrienne said. They have experienced homelessness in the past.
โIย didnโt feel like I was doing my job as aย parent, giving my children a stable home from one year to the next,โ Adrienne said.
She wants her โsocial and brightโ sons to learn the lesson Adrienne did as a child: They too can become homeowners.
โHomeownership is the first step to generational wealth,โ Adrienne said. โIt changes a lot for people. It’s pivotal; itโs monumental.โ
Adrienneโs father came to the U.S. as an immigrant from Jamaica. He worked hard, met and married Adrienneโs mother, and eventually they became homeowners.
โThat was something he was always proud of.โ Adrienne said.
Owning a home means freedom for Adrienne. Freedom from dealing with rent increases or a difficult landlord.
โYou have a say in how long you stay and what you do,โ Adrienne said.
As Adrienneโs house closing nears, sheโs spent more time thinking about the future her home will allow her to create. Her limited space has kept her from realizing the full potential of her dreams.
โI envision (my future) being very grand and this is very much the cornerstone of all of it,โ Adrienne said.
Watch Adrienne’s Home Celebration here:
You can help more local families experience the peace and freedom of owning an affordable home. When youย donate to Habitat Orlando & Osceola, every dollar helps us build homes and work toward a world where everyone has a safe and affordable place to live.ย Youย can make bring hope home through homeownership; pleaseย give today.