Homebuyer Program

After years of moving, Marlon Toledo and his family are finally getting to live out their dream of owning a safe and stable home through Habitat KC’s affordable homeownership program.

“We’ve probably lived in 10 houses in the last 15 years’’ said Marlon. “I’m just ready to provide my children with a home where they can have their own space to express themselves.”

Family is everything for Marlon, and when finding out that he was going to become a homeowner, he shared that it was a very emotional experience.
“I was almost in shock. It was hard to process the information. It’s crazy to think that this is real and I don’t have to go back to Mexico because I am able to build a foundation for my family right here in Kansas City.”

As Marlon looks ahead, the future brings hope and family traditions. Marlon plans to re-establish a tradition from his own childhood.
“I want to have a garden for my family to grow our own food — maybe even a mini farm with chickens. In Mexico, I grew up on a way of sustainable living, and I want to share and build that bond with my children.”

A new chapter begins

For Maura, owning a home marks a first for her family. After a five-year journey through housing instability, Maura and her six-year-old daughter, Rory, finally have a place to truly call their own.

As a lifelong Johnson County resident, Maura always dreamed of staying in the community she loves. However, with the skyrocketing costs of the local market, that dream often felt out of reach. Pathway at Heritage Park offered the perfect opportunity. Maura was able to purchase her home for about 250,000, less than half of the average home price in the county.

“There’s no way I would have owned a home in Johnson County or Olathe without Habitat KC,” Maura said.

Beyond providing a home for the present, Maura is focused on leaving a lasting foundation for Rory’s future.

“The most amazing feeling is being able to build generational wealth for my daughter,” she explained. “It feels great knowing she’ll have a foundation to build on.”

For years, LaToya and her five children lived in a 700-square-foot rental—three bedrooms, one bathroom, and not nearly enough space for everyone to live together. Rising rent and constant uncertainty made it hard to plan ahead. “We had to focus on tasks just to keep our heads above water,” she says. “Would the rent go up again? Would the lease be renewed? There was always so much uncertainty.” 

Becoming a Habitat homeowner changed everything. 

With more than double the living space, LaToya’s family finally room to thrive. Her daughter can do cartwheels down the hallway. Her son has enough space for a drum set in the basement. Even everyday moments feel different in a place of their own. “We all have enough space not just to live, but to express ourselves,” she says. “You don’t realize how valuable personal space is until you don’t have it.” 

After years of spending money on rent and feeling she had little to show for it, Jannetta Garrett is building a healthy and safe home for her family.
“Where we live now has a lot of problems. The roof has caved in six times. It’s drafty and poorly insulated. My bathroom pipes freeze every time it’s below 30 degrees, so I have to crawl under the house with a hairdryer to thaw them. If I waited for the landlord, it would be days before he’d fix it.”

On top of the high energy bills and ever-increasing rent, Jannetta says her current home is too small to fit her family’s needs. Her grandchildren, who visit on the weekends, don’t have room to play, and there is no space for her mother, for who Jannetta provides daily care.

“I go to my mother’s twice a day, seven days a week to help her, and twice a week we go to dialysis. My mother lives on the third floor and the elevator breaks down pretty frequently, so we have to call the fire department to help her get down the stairs; otherwise, she’d be stuck there for days. But once my home is finished, she’ll move in with me, and it will be a lot easier for the both of us.”

Looking forward to the day she receives her keys, Jannetta says the thing she’s most excited about is to stop paying rent and to live in a place that is entirely her own.

“I’m through with paying rent. The cost is always going up and you’re not getting anything for it, but when I move into the home that I’ve built, there are dreams that I want to do. I’ve got big plans to paint and decorate and really make it my own.”

For Adriana and Alberto Suarez, creating a stable and welcoming home for their family has always been a top priority. As devoted parents to two daughters, including 10-year-old Ximena, who utilizes a wheelchair, they faced unique housing challenges in the past. Regular therapy appointments and medical treatments had become part of their routine, and transporting Ximena had grown to become more difficult.

An accessible home wasn’t just a dream for the Suarezes; it was a necessity in order to provide Ximena with the comfort, dignity, and independence that every child deserves.

Through hard work, determination, and guidance from Habitat KC’s housing counselors, Alberto raised his credit score from zero to nearly 700 in just six months. Their commitment and perseverance laid the foundation for their new future as homeowners.

With an affordable, accessible home, the Suarezes can create lasting memories while also building their savings for the future. Most importantly, Ximena can enjoy her independence—playing, learning, and growing in a space that supports her needs.

After moving to the United States in 2016, Elisha Mutarahaza knew that homeownership would help build a better life for his family.

“Raising eight children can be challenging living in a three-bedroom apartment. Imagine yourself in this space with 10 people —it is too tight.”

Elisha dreams of having a stable place for his children to play and grow their lives. With the constant rise of rent, his family has struggled to find a greater opportunity that would allow them to make this dream a reality.

“I asked my friend, how can I have a house? Knowing that my friend is a Habitat homeowner, he gave us the number and the website to find more information.”

After completing an application for Habitat’s Homeownership Program, Elisha’s family was selected for a brand new five-bedroom home with a basement, garage, and large backyard.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” said Elisha. “Knowing that my children will get to decorate their own bedrooms makes my family feel free. We are so happy and excited.”

Elisha hopes to get the word out that Habitat for Humanity is changing his family’s life, and he thanks the volunteers and donors who are working to build his family’s future.

Anjeanette knows that homeownership through Habitat KC is her best opportunity to build stability for herself and her three grandchildren she cares for.

A former addict, Anjeanette has struggled with homelessness as she battled substance abuse for years. A battle that would eventually force her to leave her family in Kansas City and move to Georgia in an effort to break her cycle of addiction.

“When I went to Georgia, I cleaned up,” Anjeanette said. “I got into a program and learned how to stay clean. I needed help and God used people in Georgia to show me how to get better.”

Now, 13 years sober and once again living in Kansas City, Anjeanette works as a custodian to support her three grandchildren who live with her in her sister’s home. She says that her sister, who is also a Habitat homeowner, has been a huge support for her and was the first person to encourage her to apply to Habitat KC.

Anjeanette considered applying for a home of her own but was hesitant. She was concerned that at 55 years old, it would be hard for her to complete the sweat equity hours needed to fulfill her partnership or meet the financial requirements. However, after living in a Habitat home and experiencing the peace and stability it brought to her family, Anjeanette made a commitment to build a home of her own so that her grandchildren would have the space they need to grow and thrive.

“I’m excited because it’s a place that will give us security,” Anjeanette said. “In my heart, I believe it will bring our family together. It will be a place that is ours, a place to go home to. I’m thankful that I can give that to them.”

Now, as she works on her sweat equity hours, Anjeanette thinks a lot about how far she has come. After relying on the help of others for years while she struggled with homelessness and addiction, she now has the chance to give back and build a better life for herself and her grandchildren.

Above all else, Anjeanette says she is excited to build a place of stability, a place that will always be hers.

“I’m looking forward to sitting in my living room and having my own home, to putting my key in my door, turn that lock and knowing, ‘This is mine’.”