For 11-year-old Violet Jowsey, the best thing about her new Habitat home is “you can do whatever you want with it and put up pictures and paint.”
Violet, along with her mother, Anna Jowsey, and her 12-year-old brother, Valentino, moved into their gleaming new townhome in Orléans this summer. A virtual ceremony — delayed because of the pandemic — was held recently to hand over the keys to the Jowseys and four other families.
The young lady’s delight in doing whatever she wants (within reason, of course) speaks volumes about the sense of security and freedom to be oneself that comes with the ownership of a home thanks to Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa, the local chapter of the 44-year old international organization. In this case, the home is part of Leacross Landing, an enclave of 16 townhomes, the last of which are being finished off for occupancy later this fall.
Violet has decided to paint her room blue (she originally wanted a rainbow-sparkle-unicorn theme, but that’s still under discussion with her mother). And she’s gotten to know other children in family-focused Leacross Landing. “They’re fun,” she says of her new neighbours.
For mother Anna, a single parent who for years has been a renter and, most recently, shared a space with a friend and her daughter to cut down on expenses, having her own home is “life changing.”
“Ever since (the children) were born, we’ve moved every year, year and a half, trying to improve with every move. We’ve gotten used to living out of boxes. This gives the kids a solid place that in 10 years they can come back to, their childhood home. For me to be able to provide a home they’ll have memories of for the long term, it feels good.
“It’s the sense of security it brings… To not have to think about that all the time is a life improving stress reducer.”
MORE: A fresh start in Orléans thanks to Habitat for Humanity
A good job doesn’t mean you can afford a home
It might surprise some to learn that Anna is a manager in a bank: After all, banks pay decently and the jobs are generally secure. However, as a single parent, she was never able to get together enough money for a down payment. As the owner of a Habitat home, a down payment isn’t required. As well, she doesn’t pay interest on her mortgage, just the principle. Such arrangements put home ownership within reach of families like Anna’s, who would otherwise likely be lifelong renters.
Anna knew little about Habitat until her mother suggested she apply. She did and, in early 2019, was approved. “It was like winning the lottery,” she says.
Like other single-parent Habitat homebuyers, Anna logged 350 hours of “sweat equity” as a condition of purchase (families with two parents are required to rack up 500 hours). She worked at a Habitat ReStore and on the build site as well as helping out during Habitat involvement at community events.
Anna says her friends and family are tickled that she and the children have their own home. “It’s solid and clean. Everybody wants to see it. Everybody I know is, ‘Give me a tour!’”
MORE: Habitat team gets the work done
COVID-19 meant delays
Seeing Leacross Landing finally approach completion feels “amazing,” says Habitat Greater Ottawa CEO Alexis Ashworth. Building on the site started three years ago, with volunteers supplying much of the labour and the local housing industry and suppliers kicking in materials either free or at a discount.
Leacross, which is Habitat Greater Ottawa’s largest project to date, was scheduled to wrap up at the end of August, but the pandemic blindsided that goal. “We have a few staff people on site, but the main work force we have is our volunteers. As soon as the pandemic started, we ceased having volunteers on site,” says Ashworth. The project went from 20 to five people on site overnight.
Delays at Leacross also mean the next project will start late.
On the plus side, the federal wage subsidy meant Habitat Greater Ottawa was able to hire two female labourers in an industry that’s still male-dominated.
And, despite the pandemic, Leacross Landing is nearing completion, with just finishing touches left on a few last units.
More projects
Habitat Greater Ottawa has now broken ground on its next project: Titus Landing at east-end Wateridge Village on the site of the former CFB Rockcliffe near the Aviation Parkway. Wateridge Village is a new, bustling community with multiple builders and a mix of housing types.
Titus Landing is an eight-unit stacked townhome development. It includes two accessible, barrier-free units on the ground floor, which marks the first time Habitat Greater Ottawa has designated 20 per cent of a project for accessible housing.
Unlike most Habitat developments, Titus Landing is a rent-to-own project, with all rent payments going toward homeowners’ mortgages. The rent-to-own model was adopted to concur with Habitat Greater Ottawa’s special land purchase arrangement with the federal government, which owned CFB Rockcliffe.
Occupancy at Titus Landing is scheduled for late 2021.
Habitat Greater Ottawa will break ground on its next project sometime next year. Mac Street, in the southeast end of Ottawa, will comprise 14 townhomes and stacked townhomes, including three accessible, barrier-free units on the ground floor.
Move to denser housing
Leacross, Titus and Mac Street all signal Habitat Greater Ottawa’s move toward multi-unit projects.
“We’re really evolving from a detached home developer to a community developer,” says Ashworth.
“The ultimate goal is to serve more families. We have an enormous need for housing in Ottawa… but with the (tight) availability of land, the best way to do that is to increase density. We really have to be looking at townhomes.
“It’s all to meet the goal of serving more families and have more families move into affordable home ownership. ”
Volunteers and donations are the backbone of Habitat’s home building. Learn more here.
