Habitat Homeownership Presents an Opportunity for Children

Lupita and Nicolas Lopez are excited that through Habitat homeownership they will finally have the opportunity to create a life where their three children can thrive. No longer having to hear things from their landlord like, “When you move, we’ll fix that.” They will have the freedom to make those changes themselves. But most of all, the family has the chance to have some peace of mind, knowing that the home they provided is a safe one.

Lupita and Nicolas emigrated from Mexico and Cuba, respectively, and ended up meeting in California. In 1999, they headed to the Twin Cities to join family members living here and start a family of their own.

Lupita and Nicolas Lopez currently rent a St. Paul home with their three children, Maria, Jesus, and David. Maria is a quiet, reserved teen who is looking to finish high school soon. Jesus is a high-energy 10th grader who loves science, raising his chickens on a nearby farm, and camping with friends. David is a 9th grader who is autistic and is extremely passionate about Disney characters and trains. It’s difficult to manage three teenagers’ needs in general, but the task becomes even more challenging when all three have different personalities and intricate requirements.

Having a child with special needs such as the ones that David has can be quite difficult for renters. Lupita and Nicolas have been able to make some modifications to adapt to their unique household makeup. Many of these modifications have been made to keep David safe, including changing from glass dishes to plastic ones and locking their doors all of the time to prevent David from running into the streets. 

However, there are some things the Lopez’ simply cannot physically change; not from a lack of effort, but because of external factors. Jesus and David currently share a room, which creates for many problems between two boys with vastly different personalities and interests. Also, the windows are poorly installed in their home, and as a result David can easily break them. Lupita once planted a beautiful garden of roses and tulips in the backyard, only to see them ripped up by their landlord. Renting a home simply does not allow the Lopez family to create a healthy home for their family.

In addition to the physical changes and modifications they need to make to best support their family, this family has had to make a hard financial decision to keep them all safe and healthy. As every teenager does, David has been growing rapidly in the last few years. The Lopez family is finding that increasingly difficult because Lupita can no longer physically compete with David during his violent outbreaks. As a result, Nicolas retired from his job to provide the physical capacity to diminish the outbreaks. This change in their financial situation directly impacts the type of housing they can afford.

Finally, they have the opportunity to have more financial and housing stability. Homeownership through Habitat for Humanity represents great opportunities for the Lopez family. First and foremost, they will be able to make household modifications that will provide a safe home for their kids. A fence around the property’s perimeter will prevent David from running away. A fence will also provide Nicolas and Lupita a break from the numerous sleepless nights, wondering if their child is still on the property or not. Upon moving in, Nicolas said that he plans to finish the basement immediately, which will allow for plenty of room for both Jesus and David to pursue their own interests. The family will also finally have the freedom to express themselves through their home. Lupita plans to put in a garden of tulips and roses and intends to keep it there.