CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – As home prices continue to climb across Northeast Florida, homeownership is slipping further out of reach for many families, especially those living on fixed incomes.
But for longtime Clay County resident Glenda Lee, that dream became a reality with help from Clay County Habitat for Humanity.
“I’ve been in Clay County for about 40 years,” Lee said.
After a divorce, Lee said she never thought she would be able to afford a home on her own.
“Not after divorce… I just didn’t see it financially,” she said.
Today, she proudly walks through the home she helped build from the ground up, a space she now calls her own.
“I love it. This is my safe space,” Lee said.
Before moving in, Lee said she was living in a HUD apartment complex, where conditions were often poor and maintenance issues went unresolved.
“You know, fires, roaches … leaks in the sinks … bathroom with mold in it,” she said. “They just turn in their apartment because people need places to stay.”
Lee, who lives on a fixed income, said buying a home on the open market would not have been possible.
“If you were to go buy a house right now… could you afford it?” News4Jax consumer investigator Tiffany Salameh asked.
“No,” Lee responded. “Because I think this house probably run about $250,000 now.”
Through Habitat for Humanity, Lee was able to qualify for a home by combining her income with her grandson’s and securing a reduced interest rate. At the time, she said she was relying on Social Security disability benefits.
“I couldn’t afford to do the house on my own,” she said.
Lee calls the opportunity a blessing, especially later in life. She now encourages others struggling with housing affordability to explore similar programs.
“We got a lot of companies coming in buying land and building houses that we can’t afford,” Lee said. “But Habitat is there to help you … to show you how you could be a homeowner and how it could be affordable.”
As demand for affordable housing grows, Clay County Habitat for Humanity is expanding its efforts. The organization, which has traditionally built homes on scattered lots, is now preparing to develop an entire neighborhood on West Street to serve more families in need.