Sacrifice for a season

A family in Pensacola, Fla., finds Habitat a viable solution to high housing costs.

When Jason and Casey Burt committed themselves to doing whatever it would take to have a home for their growing family, they were prepared to sacrifice—and they did. They moved into a truck-top camper in the yard of Jason’s parents for more than a year to save money, piecing together sleeping space for their children, then 6 months, 18 months and 4 years old, out of a playpen, cushions and a small bunk bed.

“Life in a camper is pretty stressful,” Casey says. “Everyone is on top of each other. It is very, very compact for a family of five living in a truck-top camper.”

Their family was supportive—Jason’s grandmother loaned them the camper, and his parents opened up their home for meals and showers. Jason worked overtime for an industrial parts distributor, and Casey stayed home with the children to save on childcare costs.

They didn’t want to move out the area because it was where they were raised, where their family lives and where Jason has a good, stable job. But even with the sacrifices and support, homeownership remained out of reach. The couple was turned down each time they applied for a conventional home mortgage. “We talked to several banks and mortgage companies and just could not afford to pay an $800 house payment every month,” says Casey.

A breakthrough came when the family was approved to build with Habitat. After hundreds of hours of sweat equity, they moved in last October and finally experienced the breathing room they’d been seeking.

“God has kept his hand on us and we are so very, very thankful,” says Casey. “Our new HFH house is just the beginning—it is all a miracle and we are humbled to have the wonderful opportunity. We can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.”

--reporting contributed by HFHI Resource Development