MEDIA INVITE: After Years of Renting, Faithful Family of Six Finds New Path to Homeownership Through Habitat

OKLAHOMA CITY — When Jon and Whitney W. sold their home to answer a call to serve at Boys Ranch Town in Edmond, the family exchanged the security of homeownership for a life centered on faith, ministry and service to others.

The move also allowed Whitney to continue to homeschool the family’s four children. Last year, after Jon accepted a new job as Mid-America Christian University’s development director, he and Whitney searched for an affordable home. Still, with just one income, it quickly became clear that new homeownership was beyond their reach.

Jon and Whitney eventually found their solution with Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH). They will celebrate the purchase of their new, energy-efficient and affordable Habitat home at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 27, at their house in Cornerstone Creek, Oklahoma City.

In Jon’s application to buy a home through Habitat’s New Home Construction program, he stated that after leaving the Boys Ranch Town and its ministry-provided housing, his family returned to the rental market and has been living in a three-bedroom home in Moore. Despite careful financial planning, rising home prices, inflation and other costs made it difficult to save enough for a down payment and closing expenses.

“We are very thankful for what we have, but we didn’t know how we were ever going to get into a home again,” Jon wrote. “With Whitney homeschooling and four young children growing quickly, space matters. A home where each child has room to grow, and where we can dedicate space for learning, will change our daily lives in meaningful ways.”

He stated that “Habitat for Humanity has become the bridge back to that dream.”

“Rent for our current home is actually higher than what our Habitat mortgage will be,” Jon said. “Habitat is not simply providing a house—it is providing stability, sustainability and a pathway to long-term stewardship.”

Jon said his professional fundraising experience has given him a deep appreciation for the donors, volunteers and community partners who make affordable homeownership possible. He intends to remain an ambassador for Habitat after his family moves into its new home.

“Homeownership will allow us to build financial stability, gain peace of mind and redirect resources toward generosity and wise investment rather than rising rent,” Jon said. “It will provide our children with consistency and security, and it will position our family to bless others in the future.”

COHFH Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland said that Jon and Whitney fulfilled their sweat-equity hours and completed their homeownership classes—all of which are requirements to purchase a Habitat home at cost and without a down payment.

“Jon and Whitney have worked hard to purchase their new Habitat home, and we’re proud to welcome this dedicated family of six to Cornerstone Creek,” Felton Gilliland said. “Their story reflects what Habitat homeownership is all about: partnership, stability and the opportunity to build a stronger future.”

To learn more about Habitat’s Homeownership Program, visit www.cohfh.org or call 405-232-4828.