homeownership program in kansas city

Tianna and Michael know that their growing family needs space to thrive. They’ve outgrown their old two-bedroom home, but space is just one of the reasons they decided to build their future with Habitat KC.

“Our neighborhood is bad. There are frequent shootings, and it’s just not a safe place for our kids,” said Michael. “We like to be outside and we want to feel connected to our neighbors. Where we are now just isn’t a place where we can do that.”

Now, as Habitat homeowners, Tianna and Michael have built an affordable home where each of their three children will have their own bedroom.
“They are overjoyed. They know that when we have our own house, they’ll have their own rooms. They can’t wait to decorate them. One of my daughters wants a Minnie Mouse room and the other wants a rainbow unicorn room,” said Michael

And because they’ve built in a safe and connected neighborhood, they say they’re more comfortable being a part of the community and are excited to walk with their children to the park at the end of their new block.

When Juan and Zulema Ramos had their third child, they knew it was time for a home of their own.

The two-bedroom house they shared with Juan’s father was already cramped for their family, and despite saving up for a place of their own, it still wasn’t enough.

But Juan’s sister, Paulina, had an idea: She suggested he apply for a home through Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City. Paulina herself was a Habitat homeowner, and Juan had helped her build that home the year before.

“I didn’t think I would qualify but she convinced me to give it a shot,” Juan said.

Juan worried that if they were selected, his family would have to leave their neighborhood, where they were surrounded by friends and family.

After completing an application with a Habitat KC Homeowner Services coordinator, the family was selected for a large, newly remodeled three-bedroom home with a basement, attached garage, large backyard and a location that couldn’t be beaten: their neighborhood, just two blocks from their old house.

Staying in the neighborhood meant that not only could they be close to friends and family, but Juan and his father could start their dream of a father-son business of car and furniture upholstery.

Before they could purchase the home, Juan and Zulema needed to complete “sweat equity” — what Habitat for Humanity calls volunteer hours — and financial education classes.

The couple reached out to their friends and family and asked them for help completing the hours. Juan also called in a favor from his sister who he had helped a year before.

“I called Paulina and said, ‘Hey, you remember how I helped build your home?’” he joked.

“We didn’t even have to ask her,” Zulema said.

“As soon as we told her we were accepted, she signed up to volunteer.”

With the help of friends and family, they were able to complete all 350 required sweat equity hours in just four weeks.

“We’re so thankful for the home and everyone who helped us to get here,” Zulema said.

The Ramos family will move into their new home in February, but they are already making plans to continue partnering with Habitat KC.

“I want to still volunteer because I can help others, too,” Juan said. “I can tell friends who need a house to go apply and volunteer. We’re going to be involved with Habitat for a long time.”

“Being here will make my dreams come true.”

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.”

The idea of homeownership has always been in the back of Andrian Wells’ mind, but she has never felt like she could afford her own home. Between rent increasing every year and the lack of maintenance in her current apartment, Andrian was searching for a way to own a place of her own — that’s when she found Habitat’s homeownership program.

The day Andrian found out she was accepted into the program was one to remember and she knew it was a step in the right direction.

“I had no idea I’d find out that day because I went out of town and I hadn’t heard anything, so I was like, “What’s going on? Did I not get accepted?” I even told God, ‘If somebody else really needs this home, then I’ll just figure something else out, and I’ll be okay with not getting it, even though I really wanted it.’ When I found out I was accepted, I cried so much.”

As someone who’s always wanted the stability of owning a home, the Wendell Phillips neighborhood couldn’t be a better place to provide just that. Andrian’s stepfather is the president of the Wendell Phillips Neighborhood Association, also being one reason why she was hopeful for her acceptance into the program.
“I will be living right next door to my parents, and I think this will be a really good move for my kids. My son is getting older and he doesn’t have many male influences around him, so it will be nice for him to be close to my stepdad.”

Andrian is excited to let her kids choose exactly how they want their bedrooms to be decorated. She visualizes a swinging chair on her front porch and a velvet couch in her living room.

“I’ve never had the space for any of this. I can’t wait to have good company to celebrate me and how far I’ve come. I know that when I have my new home, I can get out of my comfort zone to host family during the holidays.”

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’.”

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.”

As a mother of three who values stability, creativity, and health — Michelle is more ready than ever to build a brighter future for her family.

“I’m doing this for my children. I believe that having stability is one major key in having a healthy life. I want to give them a place to make memories, have a stable place to grow, and live a comfortable life.”

The 3 bedroom house they currently share with Michelle’s mother is cramped and doesn’t provide a lot of room for mobility.

“My mother and I are best friends and I am so thankful for everything she’s done to help, but I want her to have her peace and freedom to enjoy retirement,” said Michelle.

When Michelle first got her acceptance letter, she still had a thought in the back of her mind that something could go wrong. But she didn’t let that stop her dream of creating a stable place for her family to grow.

“It’s mind-blowing that I get to help build my own home. Every step of the way, it becomes more real.”

Looking forward to the day she receives her keys, Michelle says that she can’t wait to have her family over for a nice dinner.

“Family gatherings mean a lot to us, and it will be a whole different type of pride and happiness to be able to say, ‘Okay, my family is coming to my house today.’”

Above all else, Michelle says she is most excited to provide her children with a creative outlet for artwork and to buy them instruments so they can learn and practice freely in a safe space.

“I believe that homeownership will teach my children responsibility, pride in ownership and that working towards a goal can be hard — but worth it!”