Sinking shovels into the dirt, two London families were all smiles as ground was broken at the Habitat for Humanity sites that will soon be their new homes.
The houses, which will stand side by side on Forbes St., are being built for the Robitaille and Solomon families.
"I couldn't believe it when we got our letter of acceptance. We were so happy we jumped around the house," says Michelle Robitaille. "We are really, really grateful to the community. Everyone is doing so much for us. I don't know how we will be able to repay the community but we will."
Robitaille, her husband Juan Jose and their two kids, Juliette and Joseph, have been living with Robitaille's mother and sisters. The family of four have been sharing a single room in the townhouse.
Building won't be completed for at least six months, but Robitaille already knows what she will enjoy most about her first house.
"I can't wait to start cooking in my very own kitchen and watch the kids play in the garden. That will be fantastic. We can't wait to have a regular, traditional life in our house," says Robitaille.
That anticipation is shared by Aked Solomon. He and his wife and three children have been living in a small two-bedroom apartment.
"This is the best opportunity of my life," says Solomon. "The kids didn't have enough room to play in the apartment. Now they will be able to play in the basement and in the summer they can play in the backyard. There is a soccer field and playground nearby too."
Solomon first applied with Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario in March 2014. He says there was a lot of paperwork but it was worth it to make his dream come true.
The two houses are being built by corporate volunteer groups. They are among a total of 15 new affordable homes being constructed by Habitat Heartland in the Manor Park neighbourhood.
Habitat Heartland spokesperson Sharon Brennan says they look at three specific areas when selecting families.
"Need for housing, willingness to partner and volunteer, and a willingness to pay for their home," says Brennan. "They pay 25% of their gross income. They pay that to Habitat on a zero interest mortgage. That pays for their city taxes as well. It's a geared to lower income mortgage model. Most of our families pay their mortgages off in 25 years, like any conventional mortgage."
Families also have to complete 500 volunteer hours with Habitat or a charity of their choosing.
Even though she is almost through her volunteer hours, Robitaille says she wants to continue paying it forward.
"We hope to be able to help other people through this process in the future," says Robitaille. "We know that there are more families in the same situation as us and we would like to help them get their own home."
