SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A group of families is settling into new homes in Sacramento this month after being selected for Habitat for Humanity’s program.
One of the recipients is Linnzi Cannon, a single mother of four boys, originally from the Elk Grove area.
This is Cannon's first time owning a home. She and her boys moved into a 13-home affordable housing community in Sacramento at the beginning of November.
Seventy low-income individuals, including 45 kids, live in the community. They helped build their own homes with a team of volunteers.
"We put the framing walls up. Lots of painting. Lots of hammering and nails," Cannon said.
Cannon and her eldest sons put in 500 hours of what Habitat for Humanity calls 'sweat equity' while working full-time and going to school.
“I’m really proud of my mom and my brothers for the house building and everything," said 15-year-old Jacen Cannon.
“It’s amazing to see us being in a happy, healthy and safe place,” said Julian Cannon, the oldest of the four boys.
It hasn’t been easy for the family over the years, Cannon shared with ABC10 that it was a struggle to find a place to call home at times.
“Okay we’ll just cram ourselves in their two bedroom and they’d say, 'you don’t make enough money' and I'm like, 'what am I going to do?'," she said.
Through the Habitat for Humanity program, Cannon was able to purchase the home with a 30-year zero-interest mortgage.
“We are so blessed. Just like a weight lifted off our shoulders,” she said.
Her youngest son, Donovan, told ABC10 he's looking forward to getting a dog someday, with his mom's approval.
But for Cannon, this means sharing a space she’s proud of and having a place for her boys. She shared with ABC10 what she's looking forward to most.
“Family get-togethers--that's huge. We didn't have anyone be with us for the holidays because the conditions were poor," she said. "Knowing that they'll always have a roof over their heads is just amazing."
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity, click here.
Watch more on ABC10
