This Ties That Bind Us is sponsored by Matt The Carpet Guy.
MILFORD, Del. - For many families, homeownership is a lifelong dream. But with rising housing costs, that dream can often feel out of reach.
Sussex County Habitat for Humanity is working to change that by partnering with families to make affordable homeownership possible while bringing volunteers together to strengthen the community.
"Every house we build is with one more family that has stability and homeownership," said Kevin Gilmore, CEO of Sussex County Habitat for Humanity.
The nonprofit helps qualifying families purchase homes through affordable financing.
"We don't give away houses, but we make them affordable and make it an opportunity, really, for people who can't get traditional financing," Gilmore said. "But they're hardworking individuals who deserve to have a place to live."
Ricky Polliott, Director of Development for Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, said the organization's work comes at a time when many Sussex County families are struggling with the rising cost of housing.
"Our people here in Sussex County are paying too much right now for housing," Polliott said. "That means that they can't pay money toward transportation, groceries, insurance. And with the families that are able to be impacted by this program, it really changes their lives. And not just the adults, but the children as well."
Beyond building houses, volunteers say Habitat for Humanity helps create stability for families by easing the financial burden of housing.
"They're able to have a roof over their head, and they're not scraping the bottom of the barrel to find out where their funding is going to go," Polliott said. "Making sure that they're able to feed their kids, have a roof over their head, have gas in the car."
Volunteers spend countless hours building homes, painting walls and completing construction projects, knowing their work will have a lasting impact on the families who will one day call those houses home.
For Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, Gilmore says every home represents stability, opportunity and a community coming together to help its neighbors.
