LEE COUNTY, Fla. — This week, Habitat for Humanity held its first home dedication in its new neighborhood off Prospect Avenue in Fort Myers.

This home is for a hard-working single mom named Christie Sowell. She’s been raising four children, including a one-year-old in a two-bedroom apartment. Until now, it’s all she could afford. 

Sowell’s mom has owned a Habitat home for 22 years and encouraged her to apply for the program. Now she’s got a home of her own. 

“It means security, it means being able to have something I can call my own, it’s something my kids can have for years to come,” Sowell said.

Habitat homeowners help build their own homes by completing more than 300 hours of sweat equity. They pay some of the closing costs and have their mortgage set at no more than 30% percent of their income. The HOA community Christie’s moving into is set to have 29 single-family homes.