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Last May, Timmeshia Jones was one of 395 Habitat for Humanity applicants for only five homes in South Hampton Roads (SHR). Today, she’s able to turn the key to her very first home.

Before Jones got her home, she and her daughters were living in an apartment with 11 other family members. She was sleeping on a couch, and her three daughters were sharing a bed.

Jones did not respond to interview requests by the deadline. 

Frank Hruska, Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads executive director, said one of the most compelling parts about Jones’ application was that she’s a single mother with three kids. Hruska said 85% of their home owners are single moms. Additionally, they look at credit score, job history, criminal background, and the need of the potential homeowner, all of which Jones exceeded expectations for, he said. 

“In this case, she just had a very appealing story, and we were happy to assist her,” Hruska said. “She’s just a wonderful lady that just found herself … in a situation. She just needed a little bit of assistance to move her and her three daughters back into the normal way of life of owning a home, becoming a piece of the community … and I’m just happy we could help her.”

After getting accepted by Habitat for Humanity, homeowners have to take two classes a month for six months where they learn how to be homeowners, including things like how to perform basic home maintenance and how to budget, Hruska said.

The homeowner must also work between 200 and 250 hours on the job site, helping to build their own home. Hruska said they have this requirement to help the homeowner feel more confident to do any future work on their home. 

“And at the end of the day, the word that people like using all the time is empowerment,” Hruska said. “You build a house, you feel more empowered, you feel more comfortable about being a homeowner, and you’re not as intimidated by it.”

Habitat SHR board member and Red Hat volunteer Susan Bradshaw said not only did Jones work on her own house, but she worked on other job sites as well.

“She went through the program to qualify for the Habitat house, and worked very hard and went to all the necessary classes on home ownership,” Bradshaw said. “And she seemed very driven and extremely, extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

Hruska stated this new home project started about 18 months ago when the preexisting home on Burnettes Way caught on fire and then was knocked down, leaving an empty lot to build on. Now, Jones’ three bedroom, two bath, single family home is a “beacon of the neighborhood,” Hruska said.

Jones also got to put her own touch on the house by customizing some elements such as the flooring, cabinets, lighting, vinyl siding and paint color. Hruska said they further customized the home to match the family’s needs by building a second closet in the bedroom that two of Jones’ daughters will share. Jones also wanted a hallway linen closet, so Hruska said they made the master bedroom closet smaller to accommodate a hallway closet. 

Bradshaw helped build Jones’ home and said the plan for this house is one of her favorites and that it “blends in beautifully with the neighborhood.”

“We landscaped it so that it would have lots of curb appeal, and I think it’s probably one of the nicest looking houses in the neighborhood,” Bradshaw said.

Both Bradshaw and Hruska mentioned there’s a common misconception that Habitat for Humanity gives away their homes for free. Hruska said they discount the price of the house to what the homeowner can afford, and then they provide a 0% mortgage for the first three years. He said the average Habitat homeowner pays around $1,200 a month, including property taxes and insurance.  

“The homeowner has to work hard,” Bradshaw said. “It’s just gratifying to see someone who is willing to go that extra mile in the days when people would rather just not work at all. She went the extra mile to make sure that her girls will grow up in their own home.”