Warner Family

Constance is a bus driver for Elkhart Community Schools and a mother of four children—ages 11, 8, 7 and 2. For her family, a Habitat home means more than having a place to live. It means having a safe, affordable place to call home.
 

Constance and her children currently live in an apartment at Maple Court, where rent has climbed to more than $1,200 a month since she moved in. Her children share bedrooms—two girls in one room and two boys in another—and they cannot play outside or on the playground without a parent present. Before Maple Court, the family lived at the Roosevelt building, where a persistent bug infestation made their living situation even more difficult.
 

A coworker and current Habitat homeowner encouraged her to apply to Habitat’s Homeownership Program. What appealed most to Constance was knowing her mortgage would be based on her income, making homeownership affordable for her family. She applied once before and was not accepted, but she tried again—and this time, she was. “It made my day!” she says.
 

Throughout the program, Constance has gained more than a path to homeownership. She has learned valuable budgeting and homeownership skills, saying she never learned financial management like this in school. Through her sweat-equity hours, she has helped build other families’ homes and learned new construction skills along the way. She has also given back to her community, including ringing bells for the Salvation Army.
 

Now, Constance looks forward to the peace that comes with having a safe, affordable home of her own—a home with a backyard where her children can play and be safe.
 

And she’s already imagining what comes next: decorating their new home, celebrating Christmas and birthdays, and gathering together for all the celebrations that make a house a home.