Meet Joselyn, 2023 Home for the Holidays homeowner

Joselyn is a mother of two who works in records retrieval for a local cancer institute. She and her late husband had a shared dream of buying a home for their family. Tragically, after he died suddenly in 2020, she decided to go down the homeownership road alone. But she found she couldn’t afford a safe and comfortable home on the open market with her single income.

She turned to Habitat Orlando & Osceola’s homeownership program but faced obstacles initially because she didn’t meet the income or credit requirements the first two times she applied.

“My credit was shot,” she recalled. “The second time, I didn’t have enough income, so it was like wow, another door slammed in my face.”

Supporter Spotlight: Williams Company

Williams Company has joined us since 2020 for Home for the Holidays, a two-week home build in November/December.

“We are honored to provide families an opportunity to own a home and contribute our professional talents to help build these homes,” said Matt Olberding, Divisional Manager for Williams Company. “It takes the support of many companies to build a home, and we are fortunate to have dependable subcontractors and vendors that share common philanthropic goals.”

2022: Ebony

Ebony has lived in the same condominium for the last 10 years.

This past year, she got a renewal notice that showed a $400 hike — a 33% increase. 

“I looked into homeownership for the stability because when you’re renting, they can just increase it how they want to, when they want to,” she said.

2021: Shuprina

Throughout Shuprina’s homeownership journey, her three children have watched her overcome obstacles and make many sacrifices. She hopes that it has shown her children that anything is possible.

“You can do it … if you want a home, you can get the home through hard work and sacrifice,” she said.