A family who came here from Syria are now able to look forward to settling into their own home thanks to Habitat for Humanity’s Winkler-Morden chapter.
A sod-turning ceremony this past Saturday on Hanover Drive in Morden kicked off work on what will eventually become a home for Mustafa and Najah and their four children.
Now working as a welder at Farm King, Mustafa said a friend told him about Habitat for Humanity’s zero interest, zero down payment mortgages for qualifying families. He applied, and the organization helped make the family’s long-standing dream of home ownership a reality.
He shared their frustration about not being able to find a stable home, as they have had to move five times from rental properties.
“We were dreaming about having a house for a long time … Habitat now makes the dream true,” he said, recalling how his children “were crying a lot when we moved from house to house. Now, no more tears, no more crying. We will have a stable home.”
The house is more than shelter, as it brings emotional stability for their children and also helps strengthen their community connections.
Mustafa looks forward to being able to get involved in the build through the Habitat requirement for 500 hours of “sweat equity” from families.
“I’m very excited to start digging the ground, starting to help put my hand with all the people, helping to build the house,” he said, adding he also would lovein the future to help other families get settled here.
“They’ve had to move from place to place to place over the last five years, and they really just wanted a place that they could call their own and that they could call home,” said Duane Falk of the Winkler-Morden Habitat for Humanity chapter.
Christina Falk, also of Habitat for Humanity, reflected on the challenges faced by many families when it comes to the severe lack of affordable housing options in the area.
“We have affordable rental issues, and this is kind of where Habitat comes in,” she said. “We have families, especially families with more than two children, who have a really difficult time finding a place to rent.
“We’re here for lower-income families who are working hard and doing well managing their finances but just can’t take that next step.”
Morden-Winkler MLA Carrie Hiebert urged people to consider getting involved in the project.
“If you’ve got any building skills, or anything like that, anything that you feel you can contribute, get involved with Habitat for Humanity.”
Morden Councillor Brenda Klassen also addressed the future homeowners.
“We are privileged to celebrate this moment with you,” said Klassen. “We look forward to seeing your new home take shape as you build your roots here in our community.”
