NEWS RELEASE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
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The Sutton-Steel family is close-knit and has missed being together while Aiden has been forced to sleep in a tent in the backyard or with friends due to their unsafe, inadequate, and malfunctioning rental accommodation.
This is not to mention the family’s need for accessibility features in their home, without which the family copes with physical barriers that reinforce their mobility and health challenges. Burdened with the fight for a safe, suitable, and affordable home in a town with very limited options, the Sutton-Steels turned to Habitat for Humanity.
“We are delighted to announce the Sutton-Steels as our next Habitat homeowner in Midland,” says Kimberley Woodcock, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North. “They are an ideal fit for partnership with Habitat and we are proud to welcome them into the Habitat family.”
The ‘Building Futures’ project, already underway at 808 Birchwood Dr., will provide a safe, suitable, and stable home as well as offering an affordable mortgage for the family. The Habitat mortgage features no down payment, no interest, and payments that are geared to the family’s income.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) definition of “affordable housing” is based on costs less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income. In Midland, over half of tenant households are forced to spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing and for many households that number exceeds 50 per cent.
Family selection criteria for a Habitat home is based on three pillars: the need for safe and affordable housing, the willingness and capacity to partner with Habitat for Humanity, and the ability to make affordable mortgage payments while also maintaining a clean and organized home.
When asked what the Habitat home means to them, John Steel states “It’s about knowing the future is secure for my family.”
“The application process is still open,” says Woodcock. “The Sutton-Steels are the first family of two to be selected for the ‘Building Futures in Midland’ project, due to be completed this year.”
To apply for the Habitat home, click here to fill the eligibility questionnaire, which is step one in the application process.
To support the ‘Building Futures in Midland’ project by donating or volunteering, click here.
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