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Single Mother of Four Achieves First-Generation Homeownership by Buying New Habitat Home in Cornerstone Creek
Cathy A and her children
New Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity homeowner Cathy A. (second from left) and her four children, Christian A., 15; Natalie A., 14, Emily A., 9, and David A, 11, pose with their mother after their new Central Oklahoma Habitat home dedication on Dec. 30 in Cornerstone Creek.
OKLAHOMA CITY—After years of housing instability, a single mother raising four children recently celebrated a life-changing milestone on Dec. 30, receiving the keys to her new, energy-efficient and affordable Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH) home in Cornerstone Creek.
Cathy A. and her children — Christian A., 15; Natalie A., 14; David A., 11; and Emily A., 9 — had experienced repeated displacement over several years, including multiple 30-day notices to vacate through no fault of their own. The Habitat home dedication marked a long-awaited turning point, providing the family with a permanent place to call home.
“Raising four kids in a single-parent household is difficult in itself,” Cathy said. “All I want is to provide them stability — a home where they feel safe, where they know that no matter what happens outside our doors, this is their place. Their safe haven.”
For Cathy, homeownership represented far more than a house. It brought security, consistency and the ability for her children to grow up without the constant fear of being forced to move again.
“It has happened to us twice in the past five years,” she said. “A stable home is critical to their upbringing and their path in life. It sets the way for them to be able to do it for themselves one day.”
Through Habitat’s homeownership program, Cathy qualified for a mortgage and completed 100 hours of required sweat-equity volunteer service, helping to build her home and others. She purchased her home at cost, with no down payment.
“To be a first-generation homeowner means everything,” Cathy said. “I want my kids to know that even when the odds feel stacked against you, you can do this.”
When she accepted the keys to her new home from Habitat Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland during the home dedication, she admitted the home-buying process was challenging, but “we got through it with help from everyone.”
“I want to thank everyone here,” Cathy said, wiping away a tear.
The dedication marked the organization’s 1,150th home built since 1990. To learn more about COHFH, visit www.cohfh.org. To donate, text MAKEHOMEHAPPEN to 50155 or call 405-232-4828.
