If the Skoneczny family had a bank loan, their house payment would be five times higher than their current Habitat mortgage payment.

Affordable House Payment Makes the Difference

Before building their Habitat house, Krzysztof Skoneczny, his wife, Danuta, and their two daughters rented one room of an apartment they shared with his mother and sister. Each worked 12-hour days--Krzysztof as an ambulance driver and Danuta as a nurse--but they arranged their schedules each month to ensure that their young children were not left at home alone.

When they moved into their Habitat house in August 2002, the changes in their lives went beyond a little extra space. They feel safer away from the large housing "estate" with its high crime rate. "The young people are staying out late... and they often drink, so you never feel safe passing them," Danuta says.

At 350 Polish zlotych, their mortgage is less than the cost of renting their own apartment. It also is much less than the average monthly repayment for a bank loan: 1,800 zlotych. Their oldest daughter, Dominika, who receives ongoing treatment for eye cancer, has benefited from a calm, less-crowded environment.

"Our daughters have their own, sunny room," says Danuta. "They say they don't believe it's theirs. 'We came here only for holidays, didn't we, Mum?' they say. Habitat has changed our life to the highest degree that we could ever expect it."

--Reported by Leanne McElroy and Kasia Wilczek