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(Updated
9:30 a.m., June 13)
Habitat families given keys to new homes
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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 Habitat
for Humanity homeowner Tereza Fitszimmons
addresses a crowd during the key presentation
ceremony for the organization's latest project
on Fortune Drive as her son and her two daughters
look o. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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Four
deserving families are now proud new homeowners thanks
to the efforts of Habitat for Humanity.
The
four families were given the keys to their new homes during
a special ceremony on June 14.
"This
is a day to remember for my family... a very special and
a happy day,� said Abdellatif Moustabchir, who will be
moving into his new home with his wife Saadia and their
six children on July 1. "I always wanted to make a better
life for my family from when I first came to Canada 16
years ago and thanks to Habitat for Humanity this is possible.�
The
four homes make up the first phase of Habitat for Humanity's
Leacross Landing development at the corner of Fortune
Drive and Jeanne d'Arc Blvd. in Chapel Hill. Construction
began last fall and took six months to complete.
The
work was done entirely by volunteers under the supervision
of a Habitat for Humanity project manager.
Under
the Habitat for Humanity program families with an income
between $46,000 and $69,000 are given the opportunity
to become homeowners without having to make a downpayment,
or be burdened with a crippling mortgage. Instead, they
are given an interest-free mortgage with payments based
on their annual income.
The
families, who are chosen by Habitat for Humanity, must
provide up to 500 hours of volunteer service on their
new homes, but they often donate hundreds of additional
hours on other builds.
Besides
the Moustabchir family, the other three new homeowners
are Hadi El-Hajj his wife and their five children, Tereza
Fitzsimmons and her three children, and Annie Aningmuiq
and her four-year-old son Hunter.
"Being
able to provide a home for me and my son means everything
to me,� said Aningmuiq, who has been renting a single
room for her and her son. "He will be able to live, learn
and grow in a place that's our own.�
Having
a home where their children can grow up in and feel safe
and secure was a common theme among the families who were
chosen to occupy phase one of the development.
An
emotional Fitzsimmons tried to express how grateful she
was after receiving the keys to her new home.
"We
are so excited to start a new chapter of our lives together
in our forever home,� said the single mother of three
with her children by her side. "Now we will have a home
to create memories in and a place that my children can
look back on in 20 years and say that's the home we grew
up in.�
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The
four families chosen to occupy Phase I of
Habitat for Humanity's Leacross Landing project
on Fortune Drive pose for a group picture
after receiving the keys to their new homes.
Fred Sherwin/Photo
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Besides
the families who will be moving into their new homes on
Canada Day, two other families who have been chosen to
occupy two of the four homes being built during Phase
II of the development were also at the key presentation
which doubled as a ground-breaking ceremony.
The
footings for the four additional townhomes have already
been poured and construction is set to begin in the coming
weeks. Construction of eight additional homes will take
place next year, bringing the total number of homes at
Leacross Landing to 16.
The
Leacross Landing development is the biggest build Habitat
for Humanity has taken on, surpassing the seven homes
that were built on Nantes Drive in Avalon in 2012 and
2013, and the four homes that were built on Cousineau
Street in 2016. Two additional homes were built on Tulip
Crescent in 2008.
Habitat
Ottawa's goal is to build eight new homes a year starting
in 2019.
The
organization is already accepting applications from prospective
families for Phase III. Information on eligibility require-
ments and the application process can be found at www.habitatgo.com.
As
well, Habitat for Humanity Ottawa is looking for volunteers
to help build the four new townhomes that will make up
Phase II.
Individuals
and local business can donate building materials, money
and/or man- power by contacting Habitat for Humanity at
the address provided.
Habitat
for Humanity's motto is to give families a hand up rather
than a hand out. Counting the four families who received
the keys to their new homes on Saturday, 72 families in
the Greater Ottawa area have received the latter.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our
local business partners.)
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