When Latifa Ibnjeddi moved from Morocco to Chapel Hill with her two children, she was shocked at the high cost of housing in the area. Despite the income from her job at Wilmore Electronics, Latifa had trouble paying the rent for her two-bedroom apartment. Not only was it unaffordable, there wasn’t enough room for her ten-year-old son Amir and eight-year-old daughter Hiba to grow.

In the fall of 2014, Latifa partnered with Habitat to build and purchase an affordable home. Latifa completed 325 hours of sweat equity on the construction site helping to build her home and the homes of her neighbors. Latifa, Amir, and Hiba became the first family to move into Habitat’s Tinnin Woods neighborhood in Efland last April.

When Latifa looks around her new home, it is full of happy memories from building alongside Habitat staff and volunteers. These memories make her “love the house even more.” Latifa also appreciates that her mortgage is more affordable than renting. Through saving on housing, she can finally afford to send Hiba to gymnastics lessons.

Without you, Latifa and others like her would still be struggling to pay rent in cramped, unsafe, or overpriced conditions. Thank you for giving a hand up to our neighbors. Your gifts of time and financial support make all the difference for families like Latifa’s.