OKLAHOMA CITY—Jeffrey V., a divorced father of two, says he’s more than ready to leave his current residence in northwest Oklahoma City behind as he prepares to become a new Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH) homeowner in Cornerstone Creek.

Jeff, his children and his girlfriend, Samantha, will help celebrate his new home dedication with Habitat, local clergy and the community at his new, energy-efficient Habitat house at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, in Cornerstone Creek in Oklahoma City.

Jeff works as a fleet and asset manager for Chloeta, where he helps support emergency management and disaster recovery projects. He wrote in his New Home Construction application that despite working hard to support his family, he found it extremely difficult to find a suitable, affordable home due to rising housing costs.

“The house we are in is in a bad area outside of the kids’ school district,” Jeff stated. “Cornerstone Creek is connected to the kids’ school district and to their mom’s neighborhood. They’ll be able to ride to school instead of waking up early to drive far.”

He said he’s eager to move his family into their new Habitat house and leave behind poor air-conditioning, loud parties next door and the frequent turnover at a nearby Airbnb.

“A Habitat house will take away the constant worry of rising rent, unsafe conditions or the risk of having to move from place to place,” Jeff stated. “Financially it will allow me to plan better for my children’s future, save for emergencies and build equity in something that truly belongs to us. My future goal is to build equity for myself and my family through homeownership.”

He said he’s also looking forward to spending more time outdoors with his children — especially camping, a favorite family pastime.

“We love to go camping, and having a backyard means we can now set up a tent anytime we want,” Jeff said.

COHFH Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland said Jeff’s home marks the organization’s 1,153rd home built since 1990 — a milestone that reflects both the growing need in Central Oklahoma for affordable housing and the community partnerships making projects like Cornerstone Creek possible.

“Cornerstone Creek represents the future of affordable homeownership in Central Oklahoma,” Felton Gilliland said. “This is our newest and largest neighborhood, and we plan to build up to 450 new, energy-efficient and affordable homes here. As we continue raising the funds needed to complete Phase II infrastructure and expand this community, we are deeply grateful to our donors, volunteers and partners who help make stable homeownership possible for families like Jeff’s.”

To learn more about COHFH, visit www.cohfh.org. To donate, text MAKEHOMEHAPPEN to 50155 or call 405-232-4828.