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Bobby McGee Photography
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Even with their two combined incomes, Lars and Emily could not afford to buy a home in Santa Barbara. Instead, they rent a small two-bedroom apartment on the east side of Santa Barbara. The apartment has had a series of sewage and mold problems. Lars and Emily recently spent months sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor after the walls of their bedroom warped from sewage backing up from the street.
The Lintons heard about the Canon Perdido Affordable Homes through a friend’s email. The family attended the first of six information meetings for interested homeowners at the Eastside Library. Seeing the hundreds of other families in need of an affordable home, Lars and Emily were apprehensive about their chance of selection, but recognized it was an opportunity they shouldn’t pass up.
Learning they were selected to be homeowners was a bright light during a very dark period. Baby Lindy Grace was born at Cottage Hospital in July of 2012. Hours after her delivery, Lindy was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. At 11 days old, she had open heart surgery and spent a total of seven weeks in the UCLA Medical Center and at Cottage Hospital’s NICU. It was an emotional and scary time for the family, to say the least. Lindy will need additional heart surgeries in her future.
A new Habitat home will mean a safe, secure home where Lydia and Lindy can play and grow without the worry of mold or other problems in their residential environment.
Like all Habitat partner families, Lars and Emily will buy their home with a no-interest mortgage and monthly payments made to fit within 35% of their income. Early next year, they will begin contributing "sweat equity" hours on the construction of their new home.
This holiday season, the Lintons have new-found hope for their future!
