North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity

Five Families Start Their Journey to Homeownership in 2022

I am excited to announce that our 2022 building season has begun!  Our board and staff have been busy bringing together funds, land, families, and volunteers to successfully fulfil our mission of putting God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

We are grateful to be on the other side of the last two years.  In 2020 and 2021 we saw Habitat home build sites shut down, the inability (early on) to engage volunteers, subcontractor delays, construction material price hikes and scarce availability.  We also learned, at the same time, that North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity was considered an “essential business”.  Our work to help our neighbors build an affordable place to live fulfills a critical need that became more evident during the pandemic.  We are so grateful to the Iron Range volunteers, donors, businesses, and contractors who stepped up to help us carry on Habitat’s mission.  The support was amazing, in fact, we did not have to cut back our critical work in 2020 or 2021.  Together we helped a total of ten families build and buy homes across the Iron Range.  Thank you for your support!

The need for affordable housing continues.  Today, inflation and scarce housing stock are making housing an insurmountable challenge for low-income families.  When apartments can be found, they are often lacking things that we all take for granted.  In Kristine Edstrom’s (pictured to the right along with her sons, DaJuan and Damari) case, a bedroom door, running water, and solid walls were goals for the future.  After trying to buy a home on her own and finding she did not qualify for a mortgage, life continued to take a turn for the worst for her and her two boys when she lost her job.  Desperate for affordable shelter, she found it in a relative’s rental unit that had set empty for three years.  The place had failing electrical and plumbing systems, holes in the walls, leaky windows, and no bedroom door for her nine-year-old.

This situation did not keep Kristine down, she began an internship and started working towards a counseling career.  As her employment stabilized, she reached out to North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity.  “Everything fell into place from there by the grace of God. We now have a home, a safe place to gather, study and work.  We have grown so much through this process!  The ultimate lesson that Habitat has taught me is that if something is meant to be, nothing can stop God’s blessing.  That is what the process of building and buying my home through Habitat’s program was – God’s blessing through all of you.  Thank You!” 

Plans are currently underway to build five more homes in 2022 in Buhl (2), Chisholm, Hibbing, and Virginia.  Please consider a donation to help us build with these families.  Your gift will build an affordable home.  It will also build strength, stability and self-reliance in families lives helping them break the cycle of poverty for the next generation.

                                                                                 What Home Means to Me by Nakoya, age 9, Habitat Homeowner

Nakoya, now age 11, her mom and Paula talk about homeownership 5 years in.