Dream of home ownership comes true for Tampa single mother

Habitat for Humanity dedicates new affordable home

Ariel Plasencia reports.

TAMPA - It was all smiles for a Tampa single mom, who got the keys to her new home Tuesday.

The backstory:

For years, Taheera Crittenden and her two daughters lived in a rented house where they had to deal with leaking pipes and broken air conditioning.

But that all changed Tuesday when Crittenden got the keys to her new place in East Tampa, thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County.

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"Every volunteer, everybody in Habitat, everybody that made this possible, it has been a long time coming," Crittenden said. "And I thank you. I thank you. I thank you."

During the celebration, a local pastor blessed the new home, and the Quilters’ Workshop of Tampa Bay gifted the family a hand-sewn quilt.

Dig deeper:

According to Habitat for Humanity, future homeowners – like Crittenden – put in work and volunteer hours with the organization as part of this process. In fact, Crittenden celebrated with the volunteers she worked alongside to build her home on Tuesday. In return, Habitat homeowners pay a mortgage that’s affordable for their budget, ushering in a new chapter in their lives.

"It ain't been easy. I have come from the bottom, and now I am at the top, and I'm just going up further," Crittenden said. "So, thank you all, everybody. Be blessed."

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia.

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