A new home is a life changing prospect for many Saskatchewan families – but it’s not always a possibility. Habitat for

Habitat for humanity held a special ceremony today – making the dream of home ownership a reality for a few Regina residents.

The celebration was held at Haultain crossing in Regina. The complex was originally started by Habitat for Humanity back in 2015, funded through multiple associations and branches of the federal government.

After an extensive application process – new home owners pour their hands on efforts back into the home – something that home recipient Latoya Mortimoe-Clarke says  was not easy.

“I was a single mom and I lived in a small apartment with my two children. The apartment we lived in was unsafe with frequent robberies, consistent mold issues, leaky windows and rodent issues. I wanted a better life for my children – but this is what I could afford with my single income. We just wanted to settle down someplace safe – this is where habitat came in.

Latoya shared how difficult 500 hours of community service was – but something that that she is immensely proud of.

Denis Perrault Habitat CEO says the process of getting a habitat for humanity home means applicants have to hit certain requirements.

“When families apply they have to be working – and they need to have an income that can support a mortgage. We try and tie it so no more than 25% of their gross income does towards housing costs. They get a zero percent, zero down mortgage for their  500 hours of service.”

The program is appealing to many families, and truly gives them the ability to break free from poverty.

The projects that Habitat for Humanity works on – like Haultain Crossing – have a massive amount of community impact – something Perrault noted.

“We’re employing trades, we do have employees on the job site, we have volunteers, we have a partnership with young people. Coming in during high school and helping on these builds. We see the spinoff here today – hustle and bustle, families with kids, and a revitalized portion of Regina.”

The Haultain Crossing project is now wrapped up in Regina, 7 families moved in this month. Numerous other projects are currently in progress – with new projects moving forward in Regina, Prince Albert and Yorkton looking to me moved forward after building costs decline.

Perrault added that the future for habitat is bright.