OHFA Helps New Homeowner Celebrate Home Dedication as Part of National Homeownership Month
Standing in his brand new house with his young daughter, CeeCee, by his side, Antwon still can't believe he's home.
“It’s unbelievable – I can hardly believe it is happening to me,” Antwon said. “Besides having my daughter, I’ve never caught a break like this, and it almost seems unreal. My daughter is super excited!”
Since Antwon's wife and CeeCee's mother, Madison, passed away suddenly in 2023, the father-daughter duo have been doing their best to move forward. The new house provides a fresh start. It offers stability, security, and a legacy he can leave to Celeste.
Antwon worked with Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH) to build his home, located in the Cornerstone Creek subdivision. He is the first homeowner to move into a home built as part of the Oklahoma Housing Stability Program's Homebuilder Program administered by OHFA.
They celebrated their new home with guests at a dedication ceremony, June 12.
“With the assistance of this program, I finally feel that achieving this goal is within reach,” he said. “I think of myself as a person you can call on in times of need and now I feel like I’m being rewarded with this blessing.”
COHFH received a 0% interest construction loan from the program to build 25 houses.
"The Homebuilder Program’s 0% interest loans have improved our cash flow for construction at Cornerstone Creek,” Ann Felton Gilliland, COHFH chair/CEO said. “These loans are essential for us to maintain our ambitious building schedule at our new and largest development to date.”
During the build process, Antwon selected flooring and cabinetry finishes. He's looking forward to adding more personal touches - including the addition of a growth chart for CeeCee - something he couldn't do as a renter.
"I have somewhere to come home to and I don't have to worry about the landlord or management saying 'hey, we'll put your house for sale," Antwon said. "It happened to us before. It felt like somebody was pulling a rug from under us."
