Loudoun Habitat for Humanity held a ribbon cutting ceremony and home dedication on April 27, 2019 in Sterling, VA. The new homeowners, the Sebti family, received the keys to their new home at the ceremony attended by volunteers, donors and Habitat staff. This was Loudoun Habitat for Humanity’s 49th home dedication in Loudoun County bringing the number of individuals impacted to 189.

“Less stress. More savings. More space. More freedom.” These are just a few of the things Mohammed mentioned when asked what owning a home will mean to him. His wife, Lamiae added “It is going to change a lot of things in our life.”

The road to home ownership has been a long one for the Sebti’s. Originally from Morocco, the family was living in Richmond when Mohammed heard of a job opportunity in Sterling, VA. Hired on the spot, Mohammed endured commuting back and forth to Richmond several days a week for three months. Eventually his wife and daughter joined him in Northern Virginia.

Mohammed later started his own successful medical transportation and interpretation business, but with the high cost of living in Loudoun County, the family was forced to rent a small space in the lower level of a townhouse. With their daughter sleeping in the living room, and only having a small kitchenette, they dreamed of a larger home where their daughter could invite friends over to play.

Lamiae first learned about Habitat for Humanity from a friend who had worked the program in Fairfax. An online search introduced her to Loudoun Habitat for Humanity and the potential for homeownership in Loudoun County. The first time the family applied to the program they were not eligible to purchase a home. But this did not deter them. Mohammed started taking part in Loudoun Habitat’s Home Buyer Club and worked with the Homeowner Services Manager to fix the issues with their credit and began a savings plan.

Along with their nine-year-old daughter, the family is excited to have this house to call home. Their daughter explained, “The first thing I am going to do is paint my room turquoise and then I want to plant a garden.”