BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ) — Six new homes will be going up in the Green Bay area soon.
Six families have been selected for Habitat for Humanity’s latest round of home buyers, and they didn’t know it until executive director Cora Haltaufderheid brought out the balloons and cake.
Among those chosen were Olivia Mayhew and her husband Steven. They have five kids, and the family of seven lives together in a two bedroom home in De Pere. All five kids have to share a room. That won’t be the case for long. They’ll soon be the owners of a brand new, four bedroom home.
“It means the world,” Mayhew told WTAQ. “We’ve been having a hard time finding a place to live that fits our needs. It’s a miracle.”
Amy Munoz and her family live in a cramped duplex, she says she’s looking forward to having space.
“This means a lot. It’s something I’ve always wanted,” Munoz said. “To own a home and have a place for my kids to always have somewhere to come back to.”
The program is a two way street. Families have to pass extensive requirements and background checks–and they have to pay an interest-free mortgage. For the most recent participants, the process began back in August.
“Background checks, financial checks, their records, [we] make sure they are good, upstanding citizens of our community,” Haltaufderheid said. “We also go to their homes…to make sure the need is there.”
Homeownership program participants must partner with the group and volunteer their time.
