It’s the end of construction for Habitat but just the beginning for 8 deserving families
Years of building at Trinity Lane finally came together this month with the completion of our 8-home development. Many thousands of hours of volunteer labor and over 6,000 hours of sweat equity contributed by our new homeowners have resulted in a beautiful lane of decent, affordable homes.
On Saturday, June 10, we celebrated with the community by closing down the street for a block party that included children’s fun, food and tours of the homes!
One of the families we celebrated was the Medina family. Eva and Arnulfo and their two children, Sheila, 9, John, 7 and 1-year-old Angel, had multiple problems with their home. The moldy walls worsened John’s allergies, making his eyes swollen and painful. The shaky floors, broken windows and insecure doors made their home unsafe. The rats were a constant worry for Eva, especially for her baby starting to crawl around. Eva, a pre-school teacher and Arnulfo, an agriculture worker, would get home after work and “spend so much ‘family time’ just trying to keep the house in one piece, it’s very stressful”.
Just when the Medina’s started to feel like there was no way out, they discovered Habitat for Humanity and were selected to partner with them. With a fast building schedule, Eva and her family have been on the construction site almost every Saturday for a year. “We love it!” she says, “everyone working side-by side, it’s wonderful to be a part of it”. Most of all, Eva is excited for the new beginning for her family; a life of strength, stability and self-reliance.
Since groundbreaking in the summer of 2014, 3,180 volunteers, including the homeowners themselves, have put in almost 60,000 hours to build 8 homes.
This celebration comes at an important time for Habitat, just after the White House released its full fiscal year 2018 budget request. The request proposes to eliminate funding, including the Community Development Block Grant and the HOME Investment Partnership Program, for programs that further Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to address the affordable housing crisis in Ventura County.
There has never been a more important time for the American people to stand up for quality, affordable housing. Decent, affordable housing provides the stability individuals and families need to improve their health and education, enhance their financial growth and security, and strengthen their neighborhoods.
