40 Stories from 40 Years: One Year Later

A year after moving in, Habitat homeowners Cena and Chris love their home in Habitat’s Canterwood neighborhood. Their children Penny (7), who is starting second grade, and Henry (3), who is just beginning Pre-K, have plenty of room to play, including a spacious backyard where they are helping their father build a garden shed, and where Penny had her birthday party that included her entire first grade class and a bouncy house! 

Cena loves that she has space to garden. A tomato plant taller than she is thrives in their front yard, accompanied by vibrant orange nasturtiums blooming along the front of the house. Cena says Henry loves to birdwatch with binoculars from their front porch, pointing out hawks and the variety of native birds in their neighborhood. After the children go to bed, Cena and Chris enjoy summer nights on their front porch listening to podcasts, a favorite being Valley Heat.

Inside, the walls are lined with beautiful family photos, the kitchen cabinets hold an array of snacks, and in the living room a well-loved, cozy couch serves as the gathering place for countless movie and game nights. The children have their own playroom filled with a doll house, race cars, and an endless pile of stuffed animals. Their house truly feels like home—a place of comfort and safety. 

Before buying their home through Habitat, the family lived in apartments – continually being pushed out by rising rents. Their most recent rental was a small apartment in University Place, where they paid $2,000 per month in rent. 

“I wish more people knew about Habitat and what you guys do,” Chris said. “I like to bring up the habitat program whenever I can.”