Where The Heart Is - Habitat for Humanity of Berks County Builds Homes
The essence of home transcends any place you rest your head. House walls have the power to serve as your story’s binding. Each home is a book full of beloved characters and stories — some joy-filled and tear-stained, ridiculous, frustrating and funny — but all the treasured stories bound within are yours.
It has been said, “Home is where the heart is.” Countless odes to one’s home have freckled nearly every corner of the globe by way of tearful goodbyes, songs, novels, films and proverbs. “There’s no place like home,” is one of Hollywood’s most famed mantras. The year 1865 saw Alice traversing through the confounding wilds of Wonderland in hopes of returning home with her continued attempts spanning a multitude of books and films. The early 1900s found the Darling children eager to fly back home from Neverland. Capturing imaginations throughout history, home signifies a great deal more than four walls and a roof.
One’s emotional bond to a spatial setting like home is innately human and, it turns out, downright beneficial. Federal Reserve data points to the net worth of homeowners being up to 40 times higher than that of renters. Proactively saving and investing builds equity, increases economic mobility and ultimately bolsters financial fitness, often lending discipline and structure to other areas of life, including heightened personal resilience, academic achievement and professional development. Reinforcing the benefits of home ownership further, increased environmental sustainability commonly yields benefits to the overall physical and mental well-being of children and adults alike.
So, what’s the catch? Truth be told, 2023 struck the market as the least affordable year on record for homebuying. The swelling cost of living in recent years and staggering mortgage rates have left many Americans wishing they, too, could be magically transported “over the rainbow.” While 94 percent of Americans consider homeownership a key tenet to The American Dream, more than half worry they will never attain that dream for themselves.
"I was determined! I had a goal. I got it done.”
A Hand-Up, Not A Hand-Out
Enter Habitat for Humanity of Berks County with a history of helping families ‘build strength, stability and independence’ for more than 35 years.
“I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of making dreams come true for the hardworking people going through Habitat’s First-Time Home Buyer Program. I get to work with our client families from the beginning of the process through Dedication Day when they receive the keys to their home. It’s very rewarding,” shares Reading’s honorary fairy godmother, Eneida Powell, who serves as Habitat Berks’ Director of Family Services and volunteer coordinator. “We do not give away homes. Habitat gives hardworking families hope, education empowerment and the opportunity to own an affordable home that they might not qualify for otherwise. Habitat homes are a hand-up, not a hand-out.”
From Surviving to Thriving
Reading local and single mother of four, Christina never believed she would be a homeowner. For so long she had felt unsure of where to begin until a fellow DoubleTree by Hilton Reading employee shared her story and pointed Christina in the right direction — directly toward Habitat Berks. Empowered, she found the courage to rewrite her story. Impressing herself at every turn, she remarks that less than a year ago she had “never built anything before, unless you include a 3-D puzzle.” More impressive still, she achieved her 200 sweat equity hours in just 100 days while working full time. “And I’m a full-time mom all at the same time,” Christina beams. “I had my bad days, like when my car broke down; but I still got there. I was determined! I had a goal. I got it done.”
BILLCOUGHLINC
Daunting, But Doable
Unique to Habitat for Humanity, their FirstTime Home Buyer Program requires that participants invest 200 hard-earned hours by working shoulder-to-shoulder alongside other volunteers. They sweat it out at their future home’s construction site or at the home of another family or acquire hours by volunteering at Berks’ ReStore, where you can find a variety of home furnishings, renovation and remodeling necessities and a fabulous assortment of frugal finds. All store proceeds benefit Habitat Berks. An additional 40 hours of mandatory financial education classes must be completed and are comprised of in-depth pre-purchase coursework addressing home insurance, mortgage, safety and maintenance. They stoke the flames of financial literacy by developing and tracking budgets as they implement practical strategies for increasing savings while crushing debt.
Beyond the House
More than two decades in the making, the Buttonwood Gateway Project was initially approved by Reading City Council in 1998 with the philanthropic torch passing to Habitat Berks in 2017 by the late Boscov's chairperson and Our City Reading, Inc. Founder Albert R. Boscov. “The dream of Miltimore Street lies with Al Boscov’s vision for that area,” shares Habitat Berks Executive Director Tim Daley. “His thoughts were to create affordable neighborhoods for the working class while improving the culture of clean, safe neighborhood interactions.”
A Reading kid himself, Daley grew up in one of the city’s classic row homes, just 10 blocks from the passion project. “I lived the lifestyle, and I am asking others to see the value in it and to make a future for themselves just like my family did.” Initially in law enforcement, Daley went on to work in court administration. Specializing in risk and safety, he “witnessed folks with issues that would define them for life, if it wasn’t for the chance to make a change — I learned that housing was an essential first step in that process. Habitat’s mission statement is summed up in our tagline, Beyond the House. Habitat Berks works toward making a difference in educational outcomes, more stability in the workforce, and the chance to live a healthier independent life.”
"I worked HARD. It’s MINE."
Location, Location, Location
The Buttonwood Gateway is Habitat Berks’ largest endeavor to date with projected residential amenities including recreation, education, business, improved walkability, neighborhood parking and accessible public transportation. Four newly constructed homes (plus two more rehabs nearby) will be completed this month with five more homes to be completed before the year is out. Adjacent to Reading’s new STEM school being built, Daley highlights the “supermarket across the street, walkability to Northwest Elementary School, Barbey and Baer Park Playgrounds, Downtown Reading, Reading Area Community College, and access to West Reading just across the Buttonwood Street Bridge.”
“Two years ago, this was a blighted block,” notes Powell. “Now, it’s developing into a beautiful neighborhood. The street has been cleaned up; people are really taking pride in their homes, and there is a sense of community.” “Mayor Moran and I agree that stable and affordable housing is a cornerstone for a better Reading. Small steps will produce little gain; we want to take large strides toward improving this city’s neighborhoods and homeownership statistics. This comprehensive ‘workforce’ housing movement is designed to make homeownership available for blue-collar employees so valuable to our industries in Berks County. More than one house for one family,” asserts Daley. “As more houses in the area are renovated and occupied by new homeowners, cleanliness will improve, the crime rate will drop, and a sense of stability will be restored.”
Positively Transformative
By the time her Dedication Day arrived, Christina’s high-voltage smile could have quite possibly lit up the entire neighborhood. She was positively beaming. “When I first walked into my house, I cried tears of joy, and I still can’t believe it yet,” she says.
The brand-new semi-detached home is beautifully modern and maintenance-free for at least seven years. Did we mention the offstreet parking and uber-expansive bedrooms and common spaces eagerly anticipating the family’s many stories about to unfold within? Priceless connections, festivities and precious traditions will be shared there with her most beloved characters. Goodness knows the novelty of having more than one bathroom is unlikely to subside any time soon for this mother of four. For now, Christina just smiles, reveling in her newly written chapter. She rewrote her “once just a dream” into her very own reality. “I worked HARD. It’s MINE.”
Reflecting, Christina shares feelings of being a changed woman, sensing that her children also recognize the weight of their family’s journey. “I changed. I learned a lot, especially financially,” she asserts. Following a contemplative sigh, Christina says, “I feel safe around my home. I know my neighbors are good people and they worked just as hard as me. I feel confident knowing my family and I will keep up the place.” A warm peace radiates from Christina and, speaking to the futures of her children, her warmth doubles. “I hope my children learn responsibility, appreciation and stability. My children see the hard work that I did, so they will understand and take care of things better.”
Interested in making a tangible impact within your community? Habitat Berks has countless flexible volunteer opportunities at every skill level. You, too, can be a part of building dreams like this into reality.
