Being born weighing just over two pounds, with cerebral palsy requiring him to use a wheelchair, never kept Ruben Alvarez from leading a big life — joining the debate team, attending seminary, marrying and raising three daughters. But one goal eluded the Silicon Valley native and his wife, Renee: homeownership.
Due to early mistakes with credit, by the time the couple moved to Greenville in 2011, Alvarez says they were climbing out of a hole they had dug for themselves, unable to keep up with the rising cost of rent.
Their daughter, Emily, was born with spina bifida and also uses a wheelchair, so finding rental housing to meet their needs was always a challenge. They wanted to buy a home, but traditional lenders wouldn’t accept their low credit scores. Finally, through their involvement with Greenville CAN, an advocacy group for residents with disabilities, they were encouraged to apply to build a home with Habitat for Humanity.
Although the pandemic prevented them from taking part in Habitat’s “sweat equity” preparation for homeownership, they took full advantage of classes offered.
“It’s a misconception that they give away houses,” Alvarez says. “You have to qualify for the loan. The difference is that they have the flexibility to work with you. By the time you get a loan, you’ve been given the tools to manage your finances and learn about home care.”
Habitat Greenville’s first Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant plan
The family provided input during the design process, which was Habitat Greenville’s first Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant plan. It won the Affiliate Choice Award in Habitat for Humanity International’s inaugural house design contest in 2020, and is now available for use through the Habitat network.
“They were very gracious to listen and learn from us what was going to work for us. Before, we were always finding ways to say ‘we can make this work,’” Alvarez says of their rental homes. “Here, we don’t have to do that because it was custom built for us.”
Habitat builders went the extra mile, even coming back after the family had moved in to make the ramp leading up to the front door safer for Alvarez and his daughter to navigate. The spacious bathroom accommodates a wheelchair, providing independence, and the open floor plan allows easy access in and out of the kitchen. There’s even plenty of room when the couple’s older daughters visit with their families.
“We were amazed we could be all together and not be on top of each other,” Alvarez says. “This house has been a dream come true for my wife and I.” Their mortgage payment is less than half what they were paying in rent, and each payment builds equity in their home. “This opportunity was a long time coming, but now we’re in a better financial situation because of it,” Alvarez says.
Mark Steenback, chief resource officer, says affordable housing is in short supply in Greenville. Habitat assists new homeowners, and also helps preserve older homes and helps revitalize communities.
“If we don’t get people into home ownership, their financial trajectory never changes, whether it’s helping them improve their credit so they can own a home or helping with repairs and [weather-proofing] so they can stay in their home,” Steenback says.
Along with other donors, the Community Foundation of Greenville contributed to a $2 million capital campaign which helped fund 13 new homes in Woodside and 29 in Nicholtown, where Habitat also repaired existing homes and worked with partners to solve other issues identified by community members.
“We want the community to sit at the table and decide what they need, and we’ll be there to support them,” Steenback says.
For more information, visit habitatgreenville.org.
