A New Beginning Habitat for Humanity home changes family’s life
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by Mike Blount
hen Nor Lor made the decision to move with his family from Thailand to the United States, he knew it was going to be difficult. He spoke little English, he never went to high school and he had little money. But Lor believed the move would give his seven children opportunities that they would not have if they stayed in Thailand. He says it was the best decision he’s made his entire life.
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[ Habitat for Humanity] gives people the opportunity to help themselves and achieve the dream of owning a home. Nor Lor Habitat for Humanity homeowner
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Lor and his family moved to Sacramento in 1994. They shared a home with Lor’s grandparents and father. Money was tight and Lor had trouble finding work. “Life was pretty hard back then because of the language barrier,” Lor says. “I knew a little English that I learned in Thailand, but the language barrier was the hardest thing to overcome.” Lor eventually did find work on an assembly line, packaging products. At the same time, he enrolled in English
HOW DO I APPLY?
Habitat volunteers help build a home for the Lor family. Nor Lor says the house was a huge blessing for his family. PHOTO COURTESY OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
as a second language classes at a local school. He says he knew learning English was key to opening up more opportunities for employment. He took the classes for three years, learning as much as he could. In 2002, Lor’s father passed away and Nor became the main financial support for his family. By then, he had found a better job with better pay. But he stressed to his children to take advantage of the educational opportunities that he didn’t have growing up. “I was working to support my children because I wanted them to go to college and finish school,” Lor says. “That was important to me.” The next year, Lor’s brother-in-law told him he should apply for a house through Habitat for Humanity. Lor thought it would be hard to be approved, but he applied anyway. A few months later, he received news from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento that his family had been approved to participate in the Habitat program. “We were really happy when we heard the news,” Lor says. “Paying rent was really expensive, and we needed more space.” Construction started in 2005. Lor’s entire family helped out with whatever they could do, including carrying building supplies, tools and equipment around the site. They swung hammers and nailed boards together. Lor says everyone was excited to help. Lor’s family was able to move into their new home at the end of 2006 after almost two years of construction. He says he
ATTEND ORIENTATION
If you or a family you know is in need of decent, affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity may be able to help. An average of eight eligible “partner families” are selected every year to become new homeowners through Habitat for Humanity’s housing program. Families are chosen based on need, income and ability to contribute. Here are the steps to applying:
• Seminars provide quick information on what a family needs to do to qualify. Dates, times and locations are listed at www.habitatgreatersac.org.
MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS • Be legal residents or citizens. • Have good credit and be able to prove steady income. • Earn a monthly income of 30 to 60 percent of area’s median income.
is so thankful that organizations like Habitat for Humanity exist. And he’s really happy he was able to fulfill his promise to his family. One of his daughters graduated from UC Berkeley and another from UC Davis. He has a son currently attending college at Sac State and another who’s going to UC Davis. “[Habitat for Humanity] gives people the opportunity to help themselves and achieve the dream of owning a home,” Lor says. “Living here gave us a chance to start a new life and give our family a chance to succeed. You just have to take those opportunities and move forward.”
FILL OUT APPLICATION • Documents need to be filled out completely. Habitat for Humanity specialists will go over the forms with you to make sure they are filled out correctly.
PUT IN SWEAT EQUITY • Families must put in 500 hours of sweat equity working on home builds, regardless of family size. Equity hours must be done at the construction site. Construction generally takes four to six months.
The Lor family PHOTO BY RON NABITY
BEGIN PAYING MORTGAGE • Once construction is finished, families pay the closing costs and they receive the keys to their house. Families pay a 30-year, no-interest mortgage on the home. Monthly payments are capped at 30 percent of their gross income.
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