The Chea’s are breathing an air of relief as the family of five recently closed on their new home, which was purchased through the Affordable Homeownership Program that resulted from a partnership between South Metro Housing Options (SMHO) and Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) of Metro Denver.

“It’s like a dream come true,” said Mike Chea, as he sat next to his wife Keisha. “We are very grateful for the opportunity. We didn’t believe it until the keys were in our hands.”

Like so many others in Colorado, the Chea family found themselves uncertain whether they could continue to live in their hometown of Littleton – where they grew up, their children grew up, and their parents still live. “We have immediate family and extended family here, including our parents, nieces, nephews, and cousins,” said Keisha Chea.

For the past 14 years, the family has been residents of SMHO renting an affordable 4-bedroom home. Two years ago, these homes were placed into a land trust to maintain their long-term affordability and then sold to individuals or families in Habitat for Humanity’s program.

“Transitioning from South Metro Housing Options into homeownership was a great opportunity and the perfect timing for us,” Mike said, “because Littleton homes are so expensive.”

“The affordability out here is like a desert when you are looking to move a larger family,” Keisha added. “They are pricing people out of the market.”

But this program is making homeownership in Colorado a reality for some. “We are really thankful for a program like this so we can continue to call Colorado home, as we have our entire lives,” Keisha explains. “Our family is third and fourth-generation Coloradoans. This program allowed us to stay in our home… not just a home, but our home.”

They are extremely grateful their children can stay at the same schools too. “One of our goals was to keep our kids in the Littleton school district,” Mike said.

They feel they are also gaining a sense of security. “Homeownership is one way of helping yourself with financial stability. Now that we have a steady mortgage it gives us more financial flexibility in our earning power, which takes a lot off our plate. We will be able to earn more without paying more,” said Keisha.

Mike’s response to homeownership: “Challenge accepted! I want to be able to grow and not be so dependent on others.”

But in the eyes of the Chea’s, the power of this program extends beyond their family’s financial stability and hometown security. They believe it plays a bigger role in the success of society by supporting a mixed-income community.

“The socioeconomic structure that is happening right now is detrimental to people. This is because you are taking people of all one certain income and putting them all in one certain area. We have tried this before and it does not work,” Keisha said.

“It doesn’t work for the health and safety of people. You need a mixture of incomes for a society to be able to move forward. Right now what is happening is we are starting to move backwards. Especially for the people on the lower income levels,” she explains.

Research shows that mixed-income neighborhoods have a positive impact on people’s health, education, income, and social interactions. It also shows a positive impact on property values, local services, and community diversity.

“Without diversity, I don’t think the American dream will continue. So we have to expand that and make it more affordable for more people,” Keisha said.

“This is the perfect program for the Littleton area because there aren’t many homes in this price range,” Mike added. “I hope they find more opportunities like this in Littleton because to create affordability in one of the hottest places in the United States is impressive. I would like to see it in the surrounding areas more.”

As the sun sets on their first evening as homeowners, the Cheas shine with gratitude. “Seeing what the house was and what the house is now is amazing,” Keisha said. “They [Habitat] did an excellent job on making the house feel brand new with the upgrades they did. The inspector even commented on the excellent work they did. It feels like a brand-new build.”

“We are now proud homeowners,” said Mike. “It’s like those fairy tales where you see the happily ever after. You see your finish line, you get to the finish line, and think now it’s time for our next goals. Our next goal is to figure out our next goals,” he concluded with a chuckle.

If you would like to learn more about the Littleton Affordable Homeownership Program, please visit habitatmetrodenver.org/homeownership.