SPOKANE, Wash. — The housing crisis in Spokane has made it hard for many families to purchase a home. Come January, two families will be homeowners thanks to Habitat for Humanity.
Around 10 a.m. Thursday, a celebration was held to give thanks to everyone involved with the project.
Jessica and Nate Thomas were thrilled to see their unfished home. For the last seven years, the couple and their two kids have been living in Nate's parents' basement. They say it's cramped and Nate has a hard time being independent and moving around in the space with his wheelchair.
Soon, the Thomas family will purchase an ADA accessible home with the help of Habitat for Humanity and 19 local credit unions.
"I was hopeful that one day we would get to this point, whether it be through habitat or on our own,” said Jessica Thomas. “For a long time, I didn't know if that would happen, especially with how expensive it is. But, with Habitat's help, we're able to do that, and that's immensely life changing.”
Nate Thomas says becoming a homeowner and getting a home that caters to his needs is a dream come true.
“I know for the front door, they're doing a ramp that'll go to the front door, and then they're doing a concrete pad by the side door,” said Nate Thomas. "So, we'll be able to park and then I can get straight out of the car in the wheelchair and go straight in the house. So, having all these changes, having the ADA accessibility is just going to make it a lot easier for our family overall.”
Nate Thomas says that after Hurricane Katrina, he volunteered his time and helped Habitat build homes in Mississippi. Now, getting a home with the help of Habitat is a full circle moment for him.
Thursday, he got a tour to see the progress of the unfinished site. Roughly a dozen volunteers stayed to help work on the homes after the ceremony. About 800 volunteer have helped with the project so far.
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