In December, Zonpoyouya, his wife Yileba and their family became the first homeowners at Oxford Green, Habitat Philadelphia’s 20-unit affordable home community in North Philadelphia—about 5,000 miles from Burkina Faso, Africa where Zonpoyouya immigrated from.

We broke ground on Oxford Green in May 2019, and have welcomed five more families since Zonpoyouy and Yileba’s home dedication.

Individuals in the Homeownership Program complete 350 hours of “sweat equity” at our various volunteer sites. A homeowner’s sweat equity is used in lieu of a down payment on their home.

“I joined Habitat, because it was a good match for my family,” said Zonpoyouya. “Since I connected to Habitat’s Homeownership Program, I worked with them in the ReStore, construction sites and workshops.”

Oxford Green will be completed in the spring of 2021, at which point Zonpoyouya and Yielba will be surrounded by Habitat neighbors.

Zonpoyouya’s favorite parts of his home are the living room, kitchen and backyard garden, but one thing stands out as most important:

“Home means my family is secure.”