Habitat for Humanity gifts single mother new home in Saanich
There was cause for celebration on Thursday afternoon, when another island family was handed the keys to a new affordable home thanks to Habitat for Humanity Victoria.
"It doesn't feel real yet," said the recipient, a single mother who CTV News is not identifying, when she received the keys to the home in Saanich.
"It feels a bit surreal, but [I'm] excited for the opportunity and to get into it and actually be a homeowner," she said.
The mother and her son were the guests of honour at the housewarming party on Thursday.
They're part of the newest Habitat for Humanity family.
"This is a program that puts money into families' pockets, not landlords' pockets, so it's a really good news story all around," said Scott Dutchak, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Victoria.
With the help of partnerships, fundraising and volunteerism, Habitat for Humanity Victoria helps families break into the heated housing market, with enough money leftover to live comfortably.
For this mother and son, it's a dream come true, and an experience the mother never expected.
"Especially in Victoria, it's out of control," she said.
"I wouldn't have been able to save up enough for a down payment here by any means."
The home is located in a complex that was built by Habitat for Humanity in 2010.
The family that previously lived in the unit was able to build up enough equity to put a down payment on a market home.
About six months ago, Habitat for Humanity bought the unit back from that family and fixed it up for the new owners.
"So it really allows people to move through the housing continuum, from renter to 'Habitat family' to full homeowner, which is incredibly encouraging," said Dutchak.
"We've done this many times before and each time it's special for sure," he said.
The Saanich mother and son are now part of a larger network and will help pitch in with volunteer hours to help make their dream a reality for others too.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.