To her children, Nancy is a source of inspiration… a courageous single mother who persevered to provide for her three children and give them the best life possible.

Seven years ago, Nancy and her family moved into their new Habitat home and never looked back. Before that, she lived with her children, then aged 2, 14 and 17, in a small, poorly heated apartment with little room for her growing teenagers, who shared one small bedroom.

"Every time I tried to get a bigger apartment, landlords just weren't interested in renting to a mother of three, or the rent was too high."

Renting a larger apartment that would meet her family's needs wasn't an option, and buying a home was an even more impossible dream. Nancy wanted to own her own home, but the down payment was too big a financial obstacle.

That's when she discovered Habitat for Humanity Québec and applied to its affordable homeownership program. If accepted, Nancy would be required to complete 500 volunteer hours, make no down payment and take on an affordable mortgage based on the market value of her home.

A few months later, Nancy cried tears of joy when she learned that her family would be partnering with Habitat. And the icing on the cake? The home would be built in her own neighbourhood, in the community she loved, close to the hospital where she worked.

A life-changing impact

"My experience with Habitat changed my life," says Nancy. She now has a home, a yard and a property she can pass on to her children.

The financial stability Nancy gained by partnering with Habitat allowed her to plan for the future and put those plans into action. Nancy improved her employment situation and, by 2021, had new goals in mind.

She chose to refinance her home with an independent mortgage lender to build her own credit history, and paid off her entire mortgage to Habitat Québec, knowing the money would be reinvested in new homes for families like hers.

"Seeing my mother do what she did to give us a home taught me the value of hard work and determination, qualities I hope to remember when I face obstacles in my own life," adds Catherine, Nancy's eldest child.

Paying it forward through volunteering

Completing the required 500 volunteer hours was an experience that allowed Nancy and her children to grow and discover their own resilience.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that volunteering at Habitat ReStore and on other Habitat homes benefits not only me and my children, but others too. We're happy to pay it forward."

Owning a Habitat home allowed the whole family to develop a sense of belonging to the city and its community.

"For seven years, I've had a new life. I can invite people over. My children each have their own bedroom, they have room to host their friends and they're proud to show them THEIR home. Our home has become a gathering place that would never have been possible in an apartment."

Several times during the pandemic, Nancy felt grateful to have a home with beautiful indoor and outdoor space for her family.

"Today, after two years of pandemic, I'm so grateful to have been able to weather this storm in my own boat, my own home."