Benefits of Homeownership are Undeniable

The benefits of homeownership stay the same:

• Homeownership leads to greater educational achievements.
• Children of homeowners are significantly more likely to stay in school until age 17 than children of renters…
• The graduation rate for children of homeowners is 19 percent higher than for renters, and they are twice as likely to acquire some postsecondary education, according to a study in a journal published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

But what can we do as an organization and as a community to make these statistics a reality for more families in Gwinnett County? And, how do these statistics really play out in the families we’ve already helped bless?

Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity is working on a three-year “Better Homes, Brighter Futures” Campaign to reach goals just like these. You can follow along with this campaign on our social media and our blog, www.habitatgwinnett.org/news-updates.

As far as our current families, homeownership has already begun to prove lasting effects. Last summer we brought you a story of one Habitat family who is living proof of the benefits of homeownership. Aswa and Ehite came to the U.S. as immigrants, and shared their story of tragedy and the triumph of their son, Yonas, graduating from Yale University. He graduated with honors and with two degrees – Sociology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.

Where is he now a year later? Since graduation, Yonas is taking his career to the next level.  He accepted a 2-year fellowship at a Yale research lab working on addiction prevention.   Yonas also plans on applying to graduate school this upcoming cycle, having completed his entrance examinations.

Yonas proclaims – “As always, I am consistently thankful to the Habitat community for providing us with our home. As I thank God for guiding me to all my accomplishments, I also thank Him in equal measure for the stable and safe home He equipped Habitat to so graciously provide for us. I know for a fact that that gift has helped me keep on the path of higher education and upward mobility.”

The benefits of homeownership are undeniable. As we continue to help families in Gwinnett County, we will continue to work toward a world where everyone has a decent place to live, and where improvements in health, education, and security are enjoyed by more and more homeowners.