Gabriel, Mercedes, Angel (16) and Alfredo (14) live in an extremely small one-bedroom apartment in Logan Heights. The neighborhood has a high crime rate; police activity is a regular occurrence. Gabriel and Mercedes would give anything to move the boys into a safer community, so that the boys can focus on what they truly love – school. Both boys are attending prestigious private Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista, through academic scholarship. They are also athletes, members of the swim and soccer teams.
The family has dreamed of owning their own home and has been doing everything they can to prepare for when an opportunity presented itself. Gabriel has worked his way up in a security company and manages a team of guards at local shopping plazas. Two years ago, they downsized into a one-bedroom unit so that they could pay off their debt and save money for a down payment. They converted part of the living room into a bedroom for their sons; the space only has enough room to fit the boys’ bunk beds. The family desperately needs more space to allow each son to have the space he needs to study, grow, and flourish. They never would have had the opportunity to provide this life for their children were it not for the affordable homeownership program at San Diego Habitat for Humanity.
