| From Low Income Housing to Home Ownership
LIHI is proud to announce that one of its long-time residents has recently become a home owner. After living at Meadowbrook View Apartments for 12 years with her family, former resident Lemlem recently purchased a home in Rainier Valley.
When the family originally emigrated from Ethiopia, where they still have family, they first came to Indianapolis, but then moved to Meadowbrook View to be near Lemlem's sister in Shoreline. They've struggled with language barriers and cultural differences, but never let that stop them from achieving their dreams.
Lemlem, her two sons and her brother quickly outgrew their apartment at Meadowbrook View and were looking for other options. She initially tried to purchase a condominium through LIHI in 2009, but the housing market crashed and many home loans were denied due to dropping market value. Adding to her stress, she lost her job during this period and was out of work for over a year. Lemlem thought her dream of owning her own home was over. It was then that LIHI Program Coordinator Lynn DeMarco sat down with Lemlem to work on a strategy for homeownership.
After applying three times for Habitat for Humanity's King County housing program and numerous times with other agencies, she was finally accepted by Habitat. Lemlem successfully purchased a Habitat for Humanity townhome and moved into it in January 2015. She had dreamt of homeownership for years and it was now a reality. She says she "couldn't be happier" with the results.
No one would say that Lemlem and her family don't deserve their home. In addition to the years she spent putting herself through school and looking for work, she and her brother put in 500 hours of sweat equity on their new home. As part of Habitat for Humanity's program, the family had to help build housing in their future neighborhood. They spent months digging trenches and putting up framing. In the end, they moved into a beautiful three bedroom house in the heart of a vibrant community near Columbia City.
Lemlem and her family are so grateful for their new home, but do miss living at Meadowbrook View. Lemlem's children participated in many LIHI activities, like Arts Corps, summer sack lunch, and Summer Camp. They grew up and made many friends at Meadowbrook View. When the time came to move, she says her children struggled with leaving. Lemlem herself had also formed a close bond with Lynn, whom she describes as having a "good heart." She says she learned a lot from Lynn and leaned on her support over the years. While they wanted to stay, they knew it was time to move on.
Lynn recently attended the dedication ceremony of Lemlem's new home. Lynn says she could not be more proud and happy for the family who worked so hard and never gave up on their dream. She knows this family will be successful in everything they do and is looking forward to watching them blossom in their new community.
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