Connie Olivarez and daughter Christal Espinoza recently received the keys to their Habitat home and got a look at their new home, which has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a backyard. Connie has worked for Merry Maids for 25 years and Christal just graduated from a community college and has applied to multiple colleges for Physical Therapy. On their happy Key Dedication day, they were joined by the City of Jurupa Valley, Wells Fargo, neighbors, volunteers, and Habitat staff.

For the past three years, they both shared one small bedroom in a relative’s home. After Connie lost her husband to cancer, she worked three jobs to make ends meet while raising her three children.  During this troubled time, Connie’s credit went south and she became deeply in debt.  After applying to Habitat Riverside, Connie was sent through credit counseling and Community Action Partnership’s (CAP) Individual Development Account (a matched savings program).  Along with the counseling came workshops provided by CAP to help Connie develop healthy financial habits. Once Connie’s credit and financial situation was stable, Habitat Riverside encouraged her to re-apply to Habitat Riverside.

Connie and Christal were able to afford their home purchase through Habitat Riverside because of the Economic Development Agency’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program.  This program funded the purchase of 17 bank-owned, foreclosed homes in Rubidoux with the intent to rehabilitate the home and sell them to very low income families with a 0% interest mortgage.