Jennifer has been renting a small room in Oceanside for the past six months. She is required to share the bathroom, living room, and kitchen with the male owner. The house was built in the 1950s and is very old and drafty. Also, the fuse box is located in the Jennifer’s room. When someone blows a fuse, they must enter her bedroom to re-set the circuit breaker. Jennifer has a small closet in her room in which to store all of her personal belongings.
Jennifer longs for a home of her own. Because her income is so low, it is difficult to find a rental in San Diego that she can afford. She has often had to rent with strangers in order to manage living in San Diego County. Buying a home through Habitat for Humanity would be ideal because it would allow her to have her own place, – space where she can have her belongings and welcome regular visitors.
Jennifer has many friends who would be happy to help her complete her sweat equity. She has worked in non-profit companies for the past 14 years and really appreciates Habitat’s sweat equity requirement. She commented that owning her own home would be very empowering and would provide a stable place for her in the years to come.
