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By Dina Abarca
I’m a single mother of three who has worked at the same grocery store for 25 years. For the past 14 years, I’ve owned a home in Menlo Park. I pinch myself when I can say that, in a city where houses now sell for an average of $2.8 million.
I owe my ability to be a homeowner here to Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco and the state funding that helped make affordable homeownership possible.
In the Belle Haven neighborhood, I know each neighbor by name. I’ve planted fruit trees and nurtured them along with my children, who became the first in three generations to attend college.
However, the security we enjoy is about to slip further out of reach for other California families. The state’s latest budget proposal completely cuts CalHome, the only state program that funds affordable homeownership programs like the one that helped my family realize our dreams. By slashing CalHome, the state has essentially hit pause on 5,000 affordable homes that were ready for construction, putting the hopes of so many families on hold.
I grew up here, raised by a mother who wanted to provide me with a better future. Despite years of hard work, I’ve lived in desperate situations.
Fifteen years ago, I had a life-changing experience. A neighbor knocked on my door and handed me a flyer about Habitat. At the time, I didn’t even know what a credit score was. I could never save enough for a down payment.
However, suddenly realizing that I had the opportunity to apply for a Habitat home opened a tiny window of possibility. That later became the door to our home.
Habitat Greater San Francisco gave me the education and the tools to make this home permanently affordable. With zero down payment needed, I was able to put in sweat equity to raise the home from the ground up. Now, my family is building home equity that will last for generations.
My favorite place in our home is the kitchen table. On Saturdays, my family gathers there over coffee or tea. I love to look out the window at the greenery and think about everything we’ve accomplished. These scenes were beyond imagination when I was a renter.
Life has its ups and downs. Having my very own plot of earth for digging and planting has been so healing. I’ve planted pomegranate, apple, pear, and cherry trees, one by one.
Owning this house has enabled all of my children to spread their wings. With the quiet and space to flourish, their grades improved from Cs and Ds to the honor roll. My son Derek won full tuition to an exclusive private high school.
I wish that more people could live this homeownership dream. Sometimes all it takes is a knock on the door to change your life. Don’t let that door to homeownership slam shut for other hard-working Californians.
Gov. Newsom and our state representatives should think about the futures they are permanently changing if they don’t restore $500 million for CalHome. We need a state budget that invests in communities and families who are ready to stay, not just survive. Please tell our lawmakers that Californians deserve to realize their dreams, and to return full funding to CalHome, now and for years to come.
Dina Abarca is a Menlo Park resident.
