It’s business as usual in the Stanton household on an unseasonably warm February evening. Music plays softly in the family room, the hub of the home. The teenagers wander periodically into the kitchen from their bedrooms in search of snacks while the children play in the backyard. 

This scene is completely unremarkable, except for the fact that three months ago, the Stanton family – Johnisha, Johnthan and their five children – was cramped into a two-bedroom condo. No yard, no garage, no personal space. When Johnthan’s sister died unexpectedly last year, leaving behind three children, Johnisha and Johnthan adopted them. The young family of four nearly doubled overnight, and, in the midst of this painful experience, the family was forced to reevaluate their living situation.

“Owning a home seemed so distant. I’m a teacher, we don’t make a lot of money. It is very sad to say that I’m doing what I love, I have a college degree, I worked really hard, and I can’t afford a home,” says Cowan. Before moving into her Habitat home, Cowan lived in Sand Springs with her parents. She says, “When I found out that Habitat offers [downpayment assistance], and I qualified for the program, I was so excited! I immediately said, ‘Where do I sign up?’" 

After years of renting, she developed a strong desire to own a home a few years ago. “I wanted stability; a say so in my own life,” she says, “and I wanted something to leave to my kids.” This desire became all the more urgent when her landlord put the house that she was renting on the market. Adriaune looked into traditional mortgage programs, paid off all her debt and even found a few homes that would suit her family, but the financing never worked out. Then one day she saw a video about Tulsa Habitat’s recent 24-Hour Build Home, and she remembered a couple of friends who are Habitat clients. She says Habitat was initially a financial means to an end, but the program has turned out to be so much more. “I appreciate the journey,” she says. “I believe you work and you’re rewarded.”