TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A mother of three received the keys to her new Habitat for Humanity home today, marking the end of years of housing insecurity and the beginning of a fresh start for her family.
Gracie Harvey became emotional as she opened the door to her brand new home on Tucson's southside, describing the moment as overwhelming and representing stability, security and hope for her and her children.
"I am very emotional. I didn't think I was going to cry as much as I did when I got out of my car today. I was very happy, very overwhelming. It's been nice to see all the people show up today and feel very loved," Harvey said.
Harvey's journey to homeownership began after she lost her job in 2022. She said her employer told her she was no longer reliable due to her daughter's disability, leaving her to raise three children on her own while facing housing challenges.
She applied for a Habitat house at the beginning of last year and completed hundreds of hours of volunteer work and training while working and caring for her children. When she learned she was selected last summer, the timing felt almost too good to be true.
"When I was 21 and I had my son, I said, you know, by the time I'm 30, I'm going to own a home. Like, I can do that, and I turned 30 last year in July. So, about a month after I found out that I got the home, I had my birthday. So, it was the best birthday present I could have got," Harvey said.
Charlie Buchanan, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Tucson, said Harvey's journey reflects exactly what the program is designed to accomplish.
"It takes generally nine to 12 months and starts with an information session, then goes into application. She put in over 250 hours of sweat equity in building her home and the homes of her neighbors. She went through financial literacy and homebuyer readiness classes. It really is a rigorous program to make sure that they're successful homeowners and for the long run," Buchanan said.
Harvey previously shared a one-bedroom, 700-square-foot home with her children. Now, her kids are choosing which rooms they will call their own in their new house.
Harvey's home was the final build in Habitat's Rodeo subdivision, completing 18 homes in just over a year. For the mother of three, this new home represents something she has long dreamed of.
"Not having to move every year--safe. Being able to decorate the home, like being able to put up paintings and not having to worry about the lamp, there's holes and things or feels really nice to be able to make it a home," Harvey said.
Habitat for Humanity's next community will be built in Marana off Ina and Old Father. Habitat leaders and volunteers will raise walls on eight of the 30 homes in the neighborhood. One of the future homeowners, a Vietnam veteran, will be in attendance with his wife.
If you'd like to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, click here for more information. More details on Habitat's homeownership program is here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
