“Home is a place where you will always feel secure. It’s a perfect setting for reunions, celebrations, healing and growth. I am truly appreciative of everyone’s help in creating this dream come true for my family.”

That’s what Ana Navarro, a single mom to her 17-year-old daughter, Isabel, said when asked about what home means to her. Today, Ana and Isabel have a brand-new home to call their own, thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County, Grow Financial, community partners and volunteers. We’re thrilled to be part of this incredible housing initiative, which began with the Holiday Home Build with the Bucs and continues through affordable home loans for four first-time homeowners — the Navarro, Miranda, Estes and Matute families.

Financial Literacy, Volunteer Hours & Affordable Loans

The stress of stretching dollars to make ends meet is something many Hillsborough County residents struggle with today. Ana Navarro works for the Florida Orthopedic Institute and always dreamed of owning her own home, a place to provide feelings of comfort and safety. “Every year, our space to live gets smaller, but the rent becomes higher,” she said.

Tiffany Miranda is a proud single mother to four-year-old twins, Khaleesi and Kehlanni. As an SME collector for Care Centrix, Tiffany works hard to provide for her family. However, rising rent each year and increasing utility costs made it hard to meet deadlines in the never-ending cycle of bills.

Robert Estes works as a consumer access specialist for Advent Health. When his rent kept rising by hundreds of dollars at a time, he realized he could no longer manage it on his own. He sought out the Habitat for Humanity program for a long-lasting solution to the cycle of rising rent. Estes shared, “Home is where life happens, and owning a home is a great opportunity to build wealth for myself and my family.”

Johanna Matute is an accountant for the Hillsborough County School District. She has lived in a one-room studio for most of her adult life since moving here in 2003 from Venezuela. Before achieving her dream of home ownership through Habitat for Humanity, she shared a small studio space with her 11-year-old daughter, Kamilah. Johanna hopes that the stability an affordable mortgage provides will enable her to plan for her family’s financial future.

Part of the Habitat for Humanity program involves financial literacy coursework that helps prepare new homeowners for the next steps in their lives. As an organization committed to advancing financial literacy in our local communities, we love that this valuable component is included. Each family must also contribute 300 volunteer hours — totaling an incredible 1,200 hours among the four families — adding to the feelings of reciprocity and community service that this program continues to inspire.

The team at Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County shared, “Together, we’re not just building homes — we’re building futures. Thank you, Grow Financial, for your unwavering commitment to making a difference in our community and for being a beacon of hope for families. Your generosity is truly changing lives, one home at a time.”

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County Florida, Inc. has built or renovated more than 200 homes throughout Hillsborough County since 1987 in partnership with homeowner applicants, community volunteers and donors. We’ve been proud to support Habitat for Humanity through its affordable housing initiative and look forward to continued collaboration in the future. Learn more at habitathillsborough.org.

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