Ivan and Victoria’s family of 5 lives in a 2 bedroom apartment. Their apartment is definitely not large enough for the five of them. Ivan has worked remotely since before the pandemic, and his office doubles as the bedroom for his three children.
“If I have an important meeting, I have to drag my kids’ bed into the hallway so that the room looks like an office room.”
Their space is crammed, and Ivan and Victoria’s kids are growing every day.
What will homeownership do for Ivan and Victoria? Ivan says, “I hope that our life will be better. Because we’re all trapped in this little apartment.”
They love the homeownership program, because it has allowed them to build the community that will eventually become their neighborhood.
They said,
We didn’t know what to expect from the construction site so we were nervous, but everyone was so nice and helpful. You see the same volunteers and you end up becoming friends and getting to know the other homeowners as well. ”
Beyond space, Ivan looks forward to safety.
When asked how their life will change in a new home, Ivan says, “The main thing is going to be having a safe environment. Our neighbor has a camera. She showed us that someone tried to break into our door in the night. Another time, we had a bike for only two months and someone stole it.”
Ivan and Victoria are so excited about the feeling of choice and agency that homeownership will give them.
The best part of the new home will be having freedom.
I want to paint the walls yellow. And I can just take out the grill in the backyard and cook some meat. In the apartment, you can’t do that.”
“The apartment we’re living in doesn’t have a playground nearby.” But in their new Marana home, Ivan and Victoria’s kids will actually have a backyard and they can go out and play. Their home will be a safe space to study, learn, and grow.
