After years of renting, Laura Lofstrom will finally have a home she can call her own.
“It’s mine. That’s the main part,” said the Nipawin resident. “At least when I’m paying, it’s going to the mortgage and it’s mine.”
Lofstrom and her family are the recipients of the newest Nipawin home built by Habitat for Humanity. As the down payment for the four-bedroom bungalow, the family had to contribute 500 hours of work to help build the home.
As for the no-interest mortgage, the money that Lofstrom pays into that will go directly into building new Habitat for Humanity homes.
“This would never happen without Habitat,” Lofstrom said at a media event at the home Oct. 18. “I’ve worked for a long time, never could do it on my own. It means a lot not to rent anymore, to have my own home. It’s very exciting for us.”
John van Leeuwen, the executive director of the Prince Albert branch of Habitat, which oversees committees in Nipawin and Melfort, said he gets a real sense of accomplishment when he sees a family move into a home they’ve built.
“It’s fantastic. Knowing the hard work that Habitat has put in, the committee here, they’ve just put in some incredible hours towards housing another family.”
Fred Bradshaw, the MLA for Carrot River Valley, was on hand to congratulate the Lofstrom family.
“A home represents security, a sense of belonging and a place where we can become proud, connected members of the community,” he said. “However, some families need a helping hand in order to achieve that dream.”
The province contributed $65,000 in funding support. The Diamond North Credit Union has donated $5,000 per year for five years towards the local Habitat for Humanity committee.
Van Leeuwen said Habitat has memorandums of understanding for two additional homes in Nipawin, but it will be up to the local committee as to when those will be built.
