Editor’s note: Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Yosmarily and Eliezer, who closed on their home in May 2020. Thank you to Habitat Orlando & Osceola’s supporters for helping to make this happen! This story was published earlier this year, before Yosmarily and Eliezer were selected as Builders Blitz homeowners. Yosmarily and Eliezer’s home was constructed during the 2020 Builders Blitz by K. Hovnanian Homes, one of six local builders who each constructed a home within five days during the event.
What do you think of when you hear the word “home”?
When asked this question, future homeowner Yosmarily replied, “Being in a space that makes you feel comfortable.”
Her answer is especially meaningful because her current housing situation is anything but comfortable. She, her husband Eliezer and their four-year-old daughter, Yosmelí, live in a one-bedroom apartment in desperate need of repairs.
Yosmarily is wheelchair bound. On top of the substandard living conditions, the apartment is not accessible for her limited mobility. The small kitchen makes it hard for her to easily move around, and the cabinets are too high. Their bathroom is also not accessible, meaning that Yosmarily cannot enter to help her young daughter. Eliezer, who works full-time, sometimes leaves work early or on his lunch break to assist them.
The family moved to Central Florida from Puerto Rico seven years ago, and first heard about Habitat Orlando & Osceola from a friend who came to the United States after Hurricane Maria.
Yosmarily and Eliezer are three-quarters of the way through completing their 400 sweat equity hours as part of their partnership with Habitat Orlando & Osceola. Once they complete these hours, along with their homeownership classes, they will be able to pay an affordable mortgage for their own home.
Yosmarily looks forward to making their home an accessible space. She’s also thankful for the financial stability that homeownership will bring for their family. Apartment rents continue to increase, she noted, and paying a mortgage means paying toward something that they own.
You can help more local families experience the peace and freedom of owning an affordable home. When you 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. You can make impact lives through homeownership; please give today.
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