The path to homeownership is rarely easy for working families. For Troy and Theresa, it was a journey they never imagined would be possible, especially with their hearts still tied to their home state of Hawaii, job changes, and after spending more than 13 years in the same apartment here in Salem.
For years, the small two-bedroom apartment worked well enough for Troy, Theresa, and their son. But when their youngest daughter was born, the space quickly filled. “Having our daughter made everything tight, especially in that 2-bedroom apartment that’s barely 800 square feet,” Troy said.
As finances got as tight as the squeeze into their 2-bedroom apartment, outside life factors started taking a toll on their family. Just as Troy was ready to take the jump to open his own granite and cabinet business, he completely tore his shoulder, taking him out of his trade permanently.
“About 2 months before I was going to take that leap and open my company, my coworker had a heart attack on my job site, and I found him in my van,” Troy said.
After maneuvering his coworker out of the van and successfully saving his life, Troy’s shoulder was left shredded in pieces. After two surgeries to repair his shoulder, the doctors said Troy would never be able to return to his original trade work.
“I was absolutely crushed,” Troy said. “That was my bread and butter, I was planning on creating my own company.”
After enrolling in a vocational rehab program that trained Troy to do a different job, he landed back on his feet, working with the Marion County Housing Authority. Little did Troy know that with the guidance of his boss Marisa, he was also about to start his journey to homeownership through Habitat’s Homeownership Program.
“She just told me, ‘Troy you should do this.’ But I didn’t know the first steps of owning a home,” Troy said. Not only were Troy and Theresa unfamiliar with Habitat’s homeownership program, but with homeownership in general.
After looking into the program and finally submitting an application, Troy and his family worked closely with the Habitat Director of Programs, Kattrina, throughout the entire process. After multiple meetings and phone calls, trying to hammer down all the details, Troy finally received a call that was about to change his outlook on homeownership.
“I got a phone call from Kattrina saying, ‘hey, you got the home,’ and then it really came to life,” Troy said. “I never thought that homeownership was possible for me, I would always look at the big number. Little did I know that I’ve been doing right the whole time, I just didn’t know how to utilize it.”
For Troy, the months of hard work finally paid off.
Now as Troy, Theresa and their family get ready to be handed over the keys to homeownership, excitement has been buzzing – kids deciding which rooms are theirs, AI mockups of fun outdoor landscaping designs – the possibilities are endless.
“I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m ecstatic, there’s a lot of emotions,” Troy said. “Hawaii’s always been my home and I’ve always wanted to go home. But this whole process, especially with the help of Kattrina, I’ve come to a realization that this is about my family and kids, and what I can set up for them in the future to try and make their lives easier, like a home to pass down, is so amazing.”