Chue could not sleep the night before she closed on her first home. She lay awake full of excitement and trepidation—tomorrow she would have keys in hand. On closing day, Chue said:
“Owning a home means a lot to me. It will stabilize my lifestyle. I can bring my family to one safe and secure place, and we won’t have to move around anymore.”
After Chue’s husband’s recent stroke, safety and security are vital:
“My husband was the one who encouraged me to buy a home. Now he is stuck in bed, cannot speak or eat…I moved forward with the home buying on my own and hope to see him out working in the yard again soon,” she said.
Chue is employed as an in-home caretaker. While working to care for others, she raised eight children and fed her family from their
urban homestead. Now that seven of her kids are grown and pursuing school and career opportunities, Chue is ready for homeownership. Chue, her husband, her mother, and their youngest child, a 13 year old son, began searching for a house months ago. It was not until they connected with Blia Cha, ACTS Community Broker, that the process started gaining momentum: “With ACTS helping, nothing felt too hard…I could always run to Blia with my questions. Now, she is like a sister to me.”
Chue found out about ACTS from a relative who was also an ACTS homeowner. At closing, Chue said: “Once my kids are looking for homes, I will refer them to ACTS.” Referrals like this are common—once an ACTS homeowner’s family and friends realize homeownership is attainable, they return to ACTS’ trustworthy financial counselors, community brokers, and rehab specialists that made it possible in the first place. ACTS caused, and continues to cause, a chain reaction that is spreading through Milwaukee’s most challenged blocks and creating vibrant neighborhoods.
As more families hear about the possibility of homeownership with ACTS, more resources are needed. As we close 2015, we ask you to consider making a contribution to ACTS Housing, to allow us to continue empowering Chue and countless other families.
