Family Stories
Hear from the Habitat Greater San Francisco families about how homeownership has impacted their lives and those of their children.
Q & A with Cristina Layson, Habitat homeowner
Q. When did you move into your Habitat home? What was that like? How are your kids and your mom settling in?
A. I live with my Husband Allan, and my two kids Clarence and Ariana and we’ve lived in the Bay Area for over twenty-two years. We also provide care and housing to my 82 years old mother as well. I work as a hospital unit services coordinator, and Allan works in the hospitality industry as a housekeeper.
We were living in a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment in Daly City. Waking up at odd hours a day in order to get ready for work, without waking our children seems to become a greater challenge for us, as they are old enough to begin to understand why both my husband and I have to work inconsistent work hours to just cover our monthly expenses.
We’ve been living in our Habitat home for two months now and we’re settled into our new home. Now it’s great being close to family, friends, and the nice weather in Daly City.
Q. What was it like applying for a Habitat home? How did you feel when you found out you were selected?
A. The family and I were “jumping for joy” when we found out we were selected. My kids were excited to finally have their own rooms, especially since we used to share a 1-bedroom apartment. It was tight for us to share, and my kids didn’t have much space for remote learning.
Q. Have there been any surprises since you moved into your home?
A. We were pleasantly surprised that our electricity bill is much lower with solar energy, and pleased to have a nice washer and dryer.
Q. How has life changed since moving into your Habitat home?
A. We feel more comfortable at home now that we have more space and privacy. We are very proud to be Habitat homeowners.
Q. Do you have a favorite memory or moment of being in your home?
A. I would say that helping build my own house with my family and putting together all the furniture.
Q. If you were to sum up the impact of owning your Habitat home in a single sentence, what would it be?
A. We are so blessed to have a Habitat home.
Q. What seems possible now that wasn’t before? What are you looking forward to, now that you have a new home?
A. We’re looking forward to maintaining our new home, and making sure it stays beautiful and clean. We want to live here for the rest of our lives and share our experience with others, so that they may have the opportunity to own a home that we’re so proud of.
Q. Is there anything else about your Habitat experience that you would like to share?
A. The sweat equity process is a great way to learn and be a part in building our new home and the homes of others. It has been impactful for me and my family. We’ve really enjoyed learning about the small details that go into building a home, like painting, installing handles in the bathroom, digging in the backyard, and building the fence in the backyard. We feel more connected with our home, especially since we were so heavily involved in the construction process. Now we feel more empowered to make small repairs on our home, given the experience gained during the sweat equity process.
Special needs teacher, Edith, able to keep helping Bay Area kids
When Edith looks into the eyes of her students, she sees her 25 year-old son, Ulisess. Edith teaches students who share similar special needs as Ulisess.
This has been a longtime dream for Edith to become a teacher and make an impact by teaching children who are just like her son. Edith is also bilingual and noticed that there was a need for Spanish-speaking teachers to serve this very population in her community.
As a mother of three, Edith raised her family while going to college over the course of 10 years. She became a Habitat homeowner in 2008 and with predictable housing payments, she was able to save for the first time. This allowed her to go back to school and earn a Bachelor’s degree in Child Adolescent Development and a Master’s in Special Education. This past May, Edith proudly graduated from San Francisco State University.
To support our work housing families just like Edith’s please visit our donation page.
“If it was not for Habitat, my life would have been focused on surviving. And, here I am today with a Master’s Degree and my children are thriving, and I am able to pursue my passion for teaching, which allows me to give back to my community and helps provide meaning for my life.”
Edith, homeowner
Jen, Alec and their family make a future in San Francisco
Jennifer and Alec’s apartment was overcrowded and it was becoming an increasing challenge to raise their family there. When they looked for options to stay in the city, the going rate for market-rate rental was completely unaffordable (and their income did not qualify them for a below market rate home). They were facing the real prospect of having to leave behind the community they loved and moving to the central valley.
Thankfully, they became proud Habitat homeowners in San Francisco. Their home means Jennifer and Alec can stay in their long-term community and raise their children near their parents. Because of their predictable mortgage payments, capped at 30 percent of their annual income, they are able to plan for the future and start saving for their children’s college education. After all these years, Jennifer and Alec can confidently call San Francisco their home.
To support our work housing families just like Jen and Alec’s please visit our donation page.
“Being a homeowner feels unreal to us, especially since we came so close to having to leave the city. Owning a home brings a sense of security we simply haven’t had before.”
Jen, homeowner
Home Repairs make Patricia’s home warm and safe place for her retirement
Patricia’s home is decorated with San Francisco history — black and white photographs of famous jazz musicians who would drop by for her mother’s famous suppers and relatives who have long since passed away.
But her four walls have housed more than just memories. It’s also been a refuge for those in need. When Patricia, 72 years-old, found out that her daughter’s childhood friend was living on the streets, she put a roof over her head for two years.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Patricia worked her whole career for the city of San Francisco. But after going on disability, she was unable to maintain her house on a fixed income. As the only homeowner in her family, it was critical that she kept her home, as it continues to be a stable environment to raise her grandchildren.
After finding a Home Preservation postcard in her mailbox, Patricia reached out to Habitat. Habitat volunteers fixed Patricia’s stairs and door, repainted the home’s exterior, and revived the house to a safer condition. Without the worry of losing her home, Patricia is back to concentrating on her next charity project and focusing on her grandchildren.
“I was born in San Francisco. I worked for the city. I raised my children and volunteered in this very community. There is nowhere else I have called home besides San Francisco.”
Patricia, home preservation partner
Graciela & Efrain in a home of their own
Graciela, Efrain, and their 3 children (2 school-aged daughters and a 3 year-old son) rented a four-bedroom Redwood City home. Unfortunately, to afford the rent on the home, they rented out 2 of the 4 bedrooms. So their family of 5 lived in only two bedrooms. After qualifying and completing their sweat equity hours, their family moved into their Habitat home over the summer of 2021.
Graciela, an office manager, explained, “we work hard for our money and being able to save as we pay the mortgage will make us feel more stable and fulfilled. The no-down payment and 0% loan from Habitat is a blessing as we will save money for an emergency and this makes our lives less stressful.”
Moving out of a rental into a home they own has many advantages. Graciela said, “In this home I hope to see my children grow and make memories. My girls have their own space. We are able to live on our own and still afford the mortgage payment.” The family will have no more need to share their home in order to afford it.
To support our work providing homeownership opportunities to families just like Graciela and Efrain’s please visit our donation page.
“Our goal has always been to be able to buy a home and even though we have tried we never qualified in the Bay Area. We would have qualified to buy a home in Modesto or Fresno, a far-away area. Knowing that we have the opportunity to own a home in the Peninsula has been a dream come true and to know I am not throwing my money away on rent is amazing.”
Graciela, homeowner