Empty beer bottles. Trash. Strangers hanging out by the front door.

This was the view that Angela Montoya saw outside of her Chapel Hill apartment. She lived in constant fear. Angela would not even let her one-year-old daughter, Allison, play outside.

Instead, Angela, her daughter, and her mother stayed cramped inside of their one-bedroom apartment. With increasing rent prices, Angela worried this crowded, unsafe apartment was her only option.

She was wrong.

Angela, a preschool teacher, shared her situation with a coworker. It was then that Angela learned about Habitat for Humanity. This conversation was the first step in her path towards homeownership. 

With the help of committed volunteers and Rambus, Inc., her house sponsor, Angela built her new home. When asked why she loved working on the house so much she replied, “I am literally building my dream.” 

This past year brought another piece of joy to Angela’s life: a new baby girl, Arianna. She and her daughters love to spend sunny days on the playground in Phoenix Place; a freedom Angela does not take for granted. 

For Angela’s family, this home is more than just walls and a roof. It represents peace. A safe neighborhood. Security and stability. 

This home is a new start.