Coming home
Building back better after California’s Camp Fire
In 2018, Star moved to Paradise, California, with a clear goal: to provide her three children with a community where they could grow deep roots. After years of instability, she was finally close to family and ready to build a permanent foundation.
However, just six months after arriving, the catastrophic 2018 Camp Fire tore through Northern California, destroying Star’s home. “I felt like the plan I had painstakingly built had literally gone up in smoke,” she says.
After the fire, the family eventually landed in a cramped, high-rent apartment far from Star’s parents and support system, but Star was determined to return to Paradise.
That’s when she partnered with Habitat Butte County to build a house in the community she knew was her home.
“That was my hope and dream – that we would be able to come back and stay here. Then, when my kids grow up and move out, they still have a home, a place filled with memories.”
Everywhere we work, we build to the local climate. In Paradise, that means constructing homes to withstand future wildfires. These homes meet rigorous safety standards, built with fire-resistant materials and ember-proof buffers.
Building this way allows families to save on insurance premiums. These lower costs, paired with an affordable mortgage, give families disaster resiliency and financial breathing room.
Today, Star and her children are finally home.
“We have a life. Not just a life, an entire community. This is my daughter’s second year in Little League, and my other daughter starts cheer this year. We have a whole life now.”