By: Camaron Brooks

“For each ‘no’ I send— I say a little prayer,” said Blanca Perez, a Family Services Associate, tasked with processing applications to Habitat’s affordable home buying program. Her simple prayer for families hitting their first roadblock on the path to homeownership: “God please guide them. Don’t let them lose hope.”

Blanca Perez getting ready to process Mortgage Counseling Questionnaires (MCQ’s) at her desk

Blanca knows the process inside and out. She applied to the Habitat program twice before getting accepted and completing the program in 2016.

“It feels good calling to tell applicants they qualified for the program. We make dreams come true!” Blanca said, noting her own family’s future was forever shaped by their Habitat home. “I am blessed to be able to guide applicants. I tell them what they can accomplish, what having a home with a zero percent mortgage can do for their future.”

In 2022, Blanca joined Habitat’s Family Services team processing applications. It’s not lost on her that the first time she applied for our homeownership program Habitat staff told her she had some barriers that prevented her from qualifying for the program. She worked hard to eliminate those barriers and submitted a successful application.

“It’s our mission. I tell applicants. I have a Habitat house. I know it’s possible!” Blanca said the Family Services team provides a roadmap for families to follow before encouraging them to come back and reapply when they’re ready, “It means a lot to them… You don’t know what people are going through and getting a ‘no’ response just might be their breaking point. So we have to give [families] hope and encouragement.”

Selma Belcher holding a cowbell outside of Habitat’s model home. The team rings the bell each time an applicant qualifies for the Habitat program.

Blanca’s own experience with the application process gives her an extra level of tenderness for the families who don’t qualify, “I always tell families the first time they apply; we don’t want to set you up for failure. We care enough about you to say ‘it’s not the right time.’ We want to make sure you have enough income for your mortgage and for your family!”

A second Habitat homeowner joined the Family Services team last year. Selma Belcher applied four times before she finally qualified and purchased her Habitat home in 2011. Now she guides families through the same qualification process.

“I tell them to focus on one thing at a time,” Selma Belcher said. She loves helping families resolve their barriers to owning a home. “I feel like it’s full circle. I remember the people who were there for me! I feel blessed to be a part of the process.”

It’s a process that can take time but Selma says when a family does qualify for the Habitat program the entire office celebrates. “Every time we get to ring that bell, it just feels amazing! I know what Habitat has done for my life and I think of all the opportunities that families will have because of their homes!”