Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. to Dedicate Nine Homes
Community Members, Supporters and Volunteers Gather to Celebrate Together with New Homeowners
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After two and a half years of construction and the help of thousands of volunteers and donors from the D.C. community, Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. (D.C. Habitat) will celebrate the completion of nine homes in Northeast and Southeast D.C. together with their nine new homeowners in a special ceremony on Saturday, January 27. The event also marks the completion of D.C. Habitat's 169th home.
Every family celebrating played an active role in making their dream of homeownership come true by completing at least 200 hours of sweat equity building their homes and completing financial literacy training, and taking on affordable, 30-year mortgages that will ensure they pay no more than 30% of their income towards monthly housing payments.
Sofia Sultan's family of five used to share a crammed one-bedroom apartment. Remembering when she first found out she was going to become a homeowner, Sofia Sultan shared, "[When] they called us and told us we could have the house…we were jumping and laughing! When they pick you and call you, you [know] you will have a future."
Susanne Slater, President and CEO of D.C. Habitat, has seen firsthand how homeownership changes lives. "When families can't find affordable housing, they sacrifice other critical needs – like medication and health care, nutritious meals, saving for education and building an emergency fund – to be able to pay for a place to live. Homeownership creates the foundation for financial stability and growth. It gives families the opportunity to shape their future, pursue their dreams and build their own communities. That's what we're celebrating this weekend."
These homes were made possible by our generous project sponsors -- Dow, PenFed Credit Union, Raytheon, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, United Bank and an anonymous donation in honor of Pope Francis -- and our general program sponsors -- Bonded Logic, Buildable Hours, LLC, Capital One, Freddie Mac, the Estate of Ms. Ann Hyde, Valspar Paint, Wells Fargo and the World Bank Community Connections Fund. In addition to providing financial support, many of these partners played a hands-on role by putting in volunteer hours to help build the homes that they funded.
"Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. is a fixture in our community, making the dream of homeownership a reality for so many deserving families," said Debbie Ames Naylor, Executive Vice President & President, Mortgage Banking, PenFed Credit Union and D.C. Habitat's Women Build Campaign Leadership Chair. "It has been an honor for PenFed employees to work side-by-side with these families to build their future homes and support them in building a better life for themselves and their families."
The Dedication and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony is open to the public and will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 19 46th Street Southeast, between East Capitol Street and A Street. The program will include remarks by homeowners Tibebe Ayele and Steve Powell; D.C. Habitat President and CEO, Susanne Slater; Kevyn Myers of PenFed Credit Union; Monica Mitchell of Wells Fargo; and Joseph LeMense of United Bank.
For more information, visit: www.dchabitat.org.
Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. believes that everyone deserves a house they want to call home. That's why we work to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the nation's capital by building affordable, energy-efficient homes for working families. Visit www.dchabitat.org or follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HabitatDC, Twitter @habitatdc and Instagram @dchabitat.
CONTACT: Paula Katrina Drago
Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.
(202) 882-4600, ext. 227
[email protected]
SOURCE Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.
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