“Being a homeowner will be a complete game changer for my daughter and I”
For Ashlee, providing her daughter Leanna (7) with stability and safety was the driving factor behind applying to become a Habitat homeowner. The duo has moved six times in the past seven years. “I had to move every year for various reasons,” Ashlee says. “From mold issues and unsafe buildings to family members moving into the unit I was renting.” Although she lucked out in finding their current home, it’s only a room that Ashlee and Leanna have to share, and the rent is high. When she found out she had been selected to become a Habitat homeowner, Ashlee said it felt “like I could finally provide a stable place for my daughter. I still don’t feel like it’s real.”
The difference for Ashlee and Leanna will be huge. “I think it will be a complete game changer,” Ashlee says. “My daughter will have the ability to make neighbourhood friends. And us parents will have a good community and support system – something I know everyone needs more of in life.”