POMPANO BEACH, FLA: More than a dozen families got the keys to their new homes in Pompano Beach. This was a record for Habitat for Humanity.
Saturday morning, 7News cameras caught Lashicia Harris as she showed off her brand-new kitchen.
She said, “This is my home.”
It’s just four words, but they mean everything to the Harris family.
Earlier in the day, the family of eight walked up to get the keys to their new home at a ceremony.
The person who introduced them said, “The Harris family has put more than 500 hours of sweat equity into this neighborhood.” The crowd cheered.
Lashicia, her husband, and their six kids are moving out of a small two-bedroom apartment and into their own two-story home.
She said this is a time to celebrate during her speech.
“Since I joined the Habitat Broward program, I’ve not only grown in wisdom, knowledge, and personal development, but I’ve also gained confidence in myself by doing things I never thought I’d do,” she said.
In Pompano Beach, there are 15 homes in the Rick Case Habitat Community. One of them is the Harris home.
Another successful Habitat for Humanity project was made possible by the kindness of the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and other sponsors like WSVN and the JM Family.
Brent Burns, CEO of JM Family, said, “It’s a very special day for us because one of our own, Ben, and his family, are among the homeowners. They have a family of six living in a two-bedroom house, and now they can give all of their kids more space.”
Mayor Rex Hardin of Pompano Beach said that this partnership will pay off.
“Habitat has worked with the city of Pompano Beach for a long time. “We all do it because we love it,” he said. “We are committed to making sure that people can live in good, stable places in our city.”
Prices of homes in Florida, especially in this part of South Florida, are going through the roof. This makes Habitat for Humanity of Broward even more important.
The CEO of Habitat Broward, Nancy Robin, said, “Here in Broward County, we are the most cost-burdened market in the country, so what these families have done is just amazing.” “The average price of a home in the middle range is close to $600,000. Less than 6% of people can afford the average home price, but Habitat gives them hope.
After helping build their neighbors’ houses, the Harris family now has the house that Lashicia dreamed of as a child.
“When I was a little girl, I would take my stuffed animals, and each one would be a child, and I would imagine that I’m in this big house and just living life and being a mommy and a wife, so my dream is here. She said, “It’s a fact.”
