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Women build for Habitat for Humanity
Kailey Tracy reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - A Bay Area single mother of three is about to experience homeownership thanks to a group of women in the community.
It’s part of Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County’s annual Women Build.
Nelly Colon is this year’s candidate for the ‘Women Build’.
Women are helping construct a home for a single mother.
She is a mother of three young boys.
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Teams of women will work together to build Colon and her boys a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home that’s expected to be completed by the summer.
The CEO of Habitat for Humanity for Hillsborough County, Tina Forcier, said the build is dedicated each year to helping women, single mothers specifically, gain access to affordable housing and focuses on issues related to affordable housing.
Forcier said families who are chosen have to put in at least 300 hours of work building their home and others’ homes, and pay an affordable mortgage, which is less than 30 percent of their income.
Colon has been connected with Habitat since she was a child.
Habitat for Humanity hosts a 'Women Build' event annually.
She was removed from her home as a teen and started living with a friend’s mother who was a Habitat homeowner and told her about the nonprofit.
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Colon now helps other homeowner candidates in her role as a financial coach at Habitat Hillsborough.
The build is dedicated to helping single mothers gain access to affordable housing each year and focuses on issues related to affordable housing.
"I love the opportunity," Colon said. "I believe in the mission. I love that Habitat helps build homes for those that need it," she said.
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Colon said when she found out she was chosen for this home, she was shocked, grateful and excited.
"I could not believe that I was chosen and I’m honestly so blessed for the opportunity," Colon said.
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She said the fact that other women are helping her build it makes it even more special.
"Having different women from different walks of life come together and help you build a home to let you know that it is something that you’re capable of doing … because as a single mom, I feel that at times you’re beaten up a lot and you have to continue to carry that load and that heavy burden of taking care and not showing your kids the weakness that you sometimes wake up feeling, so just being able to show and have other women raise guide me and uplift me is such a fantastic feeling," Colon said.
They’re expected to complete the home by August or September.