Photo courtesy of Berthoud Habitat for Humanity – Newest Habitat for Humanity Berthoud homeowners, Arianna and Jeremy Brown with their sons, Riven and Jude.

People move into new houses in Berthoud every week, but none may be more grateful than the Brown family, who settled into their new home on November 18, just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving as first-time homeowners. “This is a dream come true for us,” said Arianna Brown, as her new baby Jude cooed in her arms and her two-year-old son Riven vied for her attention, “we are beyond grateful to everyone who helped us get here, especially everyone at Habitat.” The official blessing and dedication of their home will be celebrated at 3 p.m. on December 11, at the Habitat Berthoud’s offices. Everyone in town is welcome to attend.

Arianna and Jeremy Brown worked hard to qualify for ownership of the 19th home built by Habitat for Humanity Berthoud. There were applications, interviews, classes, 500 volunteer hours to complete and paperwork. Lots of paperwork. In the end, they completed all the requirements and were able to go to closing, knowing they could finally start building equity toward their young family’s future.

Both Jeremy and Arianna had been working, he in construction and she as a nanny, but skyrocketing rents in the area were higher than many mortgage payments, so they had moved in with Arianna’s parents to save money toward the downpayment on a home. For two and a half years they saved, but Arianna had to quit her job when she was expecting their first child, which left her with only part-time work for her mom. The couple looked into sharing a house with friends or moving to Nebraska, where homes were less expensive, but nothing seemed to work out. That’s when Arianna’s grandmother suggested they try applying for a Habitat home. They never thought they’d qualify, but eventually decided it was worth a try.

“We don’t give away homes,” confirmed Jan Dowker, the Executive Director of Habitat Berthoud, “we partner with families. Habitat is a formula that provides people with the ability to have a solid foundation to thrive in life.” Dowker indicated that Habitat provides zero-interest mortgages, but families must meet specific qualifications and be willing to put “sweat-equity” into the process. Dowker estimates about 125 volunteers worked on the Brown’s home, including about 75 students from Thompson Valley High School.

Prospective owners are required to attend classes about home ownership, financial responsibility and budgeting. They must be able to provide a modest downpayment and have the ability to pay the mortgage going forward.

In addition, Jeremy and Arianna had each agreed to spend a minimum of 250 hours working on the house or volunteering for other Habitat projects. Arianna often feared they wouldn’t get all their hours in on time and have to relinquish the house to another family. “I put it in God’s hands,” she said, “if we couldn’t finish our hours in time, then the home could go to someone who needed it more than we did.” Arianna finished the last of her 250 volunteer hours just three days before giving birth to her son Jude. Jeremy too, had to complete his 250 volunteer hours while working a full time construction job. The couple remains grateful to Arianna’s family for letting them stay for more than 2 years, but two adults and two little ones living in one room was going to be a daunting challenge. The new home gives them room to live comfortably and still save for the future. As Jeremy related in his Habitat documents, “This process has helped us in so many ways, we have learned a lot about homeownership and financial responsibility. This truly is a great program that has made homeownership possible for our family.”

The official blessing and dedication for the Brown’s home will be held on Sunday, December 11. Because Habitat is a community-focused organization, they encourage town residents to join the celebration when a family moves into a new Habitat home. The entire Berthoud community is invited to attend the reception at the Habitat offices at 1776 4th St. at 3 p.m.

For more information about what it takes to qualify for a Habitat home, visit the Habitat office or review the process on their website: www.berthoudhabitat.org.