A New Home for a Local Pacific Family
Prepared by Jaimie Sumner, PPP Operations Coordinator, who is familiar with Habitat’s important work, having previously managed a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
We are thrilled to share the news that a local Indigenous / Pacific Islander family, Tina and Niu Savea and their 3 kids, is getting a new home! The Savea family has Cree and Samoan roots and has been working toward a house of their own for years. Earlier this year, they found out that their dream was to come true through a partnership program with Habitat for Humanity Victoria.
The Savea family in Victoria, B.C. is excited that Habitat for Humanity is helping them invest into their family’s future.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization focused on providing safe and stable homes for lower-income families in Canada and across the world. Many people are familiar with Habitat’s international housing projects but are unaware that local chapters focus on building houses too. In Victoria, families apply to their local Habitat for Humanity to be considered for the local homeownership program. If selected, each family invests 500 hours of their own labour into Habitat’s volunteer programs by helping out at builds, Habitat stores, and special events. Habitat homes are sold to qualified families at fair market value and are financed with affordable mortgages at no more than 30% of the family’s income. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund, which is used to build more homes.
Habitat for Humanity Victoria is building eleven new homes this year. Their work is supported by community donations and by two secondhand home & building supply outlets called ReStores. Consider shopping or donating if you can. And congratulations to the Savea family on qualifying for their new home!
Tina Savea shared:
“Now is the perfect time to let you all in on some exciting news for our family… We have been blessed to partner with Habitat for Humanity and to be able to purchase our very own home. We have always desired to buy a home… but the very expensive market in Victoria we would either have to leave the city we have grown to love or have to save for 100 years. LOL, We didn’t want to do either.
We were told about this amazing organization that helps make buying a home possible for families like ours. AND they just happen to be doing a build 3 minutes away from the house we are in now & only STEPS away from the ocean!! We took the plunge and started the 6-month process of applying! Months later we got the phone call we were accepted. Now here we are, helping build our brand new home, connected to a great community of people & all extremely grateful to this amazing organization. Habitat for Humanity is helping us invest in our family’s future!”