A home of their own: Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury makes family's dreams come true
Despite grey skies and damp roads, friends, family and community members recently gathered on Alexander Street in Columbia to celebrate the town's newest homeowners.
D’Angelo and Tierra Bettis always dreamed of owning a home but they didn’t qualify for any traditional mortgages, they said, noting that their prior living situation was unsafe and overcrowded.
The couple's three daughters, Gabriella, 7, Arianna, 5, and Mar’riana, 3, had all shared one bedroom. The Williamson-Maury Habitat for Humanity organization stepped in to help, making sure the Bettis family's dream of owning a house is no longer just a dream. It's now a reality.
Funding and volunteer labor for the family's new home was a Westhaven community effort. Since September, more than 160 Westhaven volunteers have spent their weekends building the house. They've logged more than 1,000 volunteer hours.
Including time and donations from local partners, including The Westhaven Foundation, Southern Land Company and California Closets, there has been about $70,000 given towards project, officials said.
“We just wanted to say thank you to everyone,” Tierra Bettis said during the Saturday dedication of the new house. “Thank you for building our home.”
The dedication ceremony also marked the couple's completion of the Homeownership Program, which included 200 hours of sweat equity, budget coaching and homebuyer education. While Habitat for Humanity helps to build homes, they aren’t given away for free, organizers said. Each family has to show they can pay an affordable mortgage, which for the Bettis family is a 30-year mortgage, officials said.
On Saturday, all the work seemed to be worth it as the smiles and keys were exchanged.
The children were ready for bedrooms of their own. And the couple seemed eager to enjoy their new space.
More information on the Habitat for Humanity’s work in Williamson-Maury counties can be found at www.hfhwm.org/
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Habitat for Humanity helps Tennessee family reach homeowning dream
