Current Builds

Twin Home Construction - 5th and Mississippi Project

House Rehab - 900 Farnam St

House Rehab - 912 Avon Street

Watch For Our Next Project

Future Habitat Homeowners

Meet the Bright Family

Meet the Hicks Family

​For Jenna Bright, home ownership means getting to provide a forever home for her two children, Brenten (8) and Emmalee Ann (1 ½), and their dog, Beatrice. It means that they will have a safe, stable, environment where they have enough room to grow without worrying about where they are going to have to move to next.

The family currently lives in a two-bedroom duplex that they have outgrown. Unfortunately their current apartment is also home to many unwanted critters – mice, spiders, and centipedes. It has uneven floors and unsafe windows that are hard to open and unexpectedly come crashing down. Heating the home is very expensive, with winter bills often more than $300 per month.

Jenna works for a nonprofit and loves the values that nonprofits have and what they provide for the community, so it was only fitting that she would apply for a Habitat home. When asked why she applied, she said, “Habitat is more than a bank running numbers; they are people who get to know you and care about you. They believe in you and have faith in you.”

Jenna loves the opportunity to build her own home. She enjoys being involved with building her home and learning all about the house that she and her family will call home. When their home is finished, Jenna will purchase it from Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area through a 30-year, 0% interest mortgage. She looks forward to volunteering with Habitat even after completing her 350 sweat equity hours.

For Sarah Hicks, homeownership means independence. Independence for herself and for her five children, Jayda (16), Shannon (11), Mya (9), Hugo (8), and Elias (7). Independence from landlords. Independence from the constant fear of homelessness.
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After having to move multiple times due to lead poisoning at two separate properties and a leaking basement in another property. The final straw was when her family faced homelessness after her landlord lost their home to tax forclosure, Sarah knew something had to change. She wanted to provide stability for her children.

The high cost of rent in the area has prevented Sarah from purchasing a home at market rate. After hearing about Habitat for Humanity’s Homeownership Program, she read Habitat’s mission statement, and it stayed in her mind. “I really think God wrote in my heart and in my mind to be here now,” said Sarah when asked why she applied to be a Habitat homeowner.

Sarah and her family will work alongside volunteers, donors, and staff to build their forever home. For the family of six, it will mean more independence and financial stability for years to come. When their home is finished, Sarah will purchase the home from Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area through a 30-year, 0% interest mortgage.

“This truly gives an amazing humbling feeling that I have never felt before. [M]y kids and I and a whole village of volunteers are going to be building our forever home. It has given me and my kids inspiration, vision, opportunity, and hope for a brighter future.”
 

Meet the Thao Family

For See Thao and her son, Yee (18), acceptance into Habitat for Humanity’s Homeowner Program means they will finally have a safe, decent place to call home. They are currently living in a small apartment in awful condition. The kitchen is full of appliances that do not work. The broken dishwasher is being used as storage; the stove and oven are in disrepair; electrical outlets in the kitchen are unusable; the kitchen sink is corroded and leaks; and the fridge is broken. This makes cooking at home almost impossible. The bathroom is just as bad. The faucet is corroded and barely useable, and the fan does not work, causing mold to grow. The family is also dealing with uneven floors, poor insulation, doors and windows that let outside air in, and a broken patio door. Not only are there problems throughout the different rooms in the home, the structure itself is very poor. The exterior paint is peeling off the building. Overall, the property is not maintained.
 
See applied to be a Habitat partner family because she knew that Habitat for Humanity makes homeownership possible for lower-income families. When asked about working with Habitat to build her own home, she said, “[I] feel happy and excited to build my own home with great people.”
 
See and her family will complete 350 sweat equity hours alongside volunteers, donors, and staff as her forever home is being built. When their home is finished, See will purchase it from Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area through a 30-year, 0% interest mortgage.