Home Sweet Home in Charlottesville |
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June 13th, 2005 - 03:45PM |
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Photo: The IRC I have been helping nine families who have resettled in the U.S. with help from the International Rescue Committee navigate through Virginia's home ownership program. The Shah family is the first family in the state to purchase a home through this program. The Shahs came to Charlottesville as refugees from Afghanistan in September 2002. The family of five settled quickly into a two-bedroom basement apartment. Trained as an engineer, Mr. Shah found work in the hospitality industry while his wife, a teacher for twenty years, began work in a daycare center. When I met them one year later, they were seriously considering how to buy a home.Months earlier, the Shahs had an appointment at the Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA), a local non-profit and IRC partner that assists first-time home buyers. They were told that because they lacked a substantial work and credit history they were not ready to begin any home ownership programs. This was my first opportunity to advocate at PHA, so I started making some phone calls. I also sent a loan package to the state funders with additional credit references from the Shah’s utilities and landlord. When I met with the head underwriter, her concern was that she didn’t want to lend money to someone without seeing more evidence that they understand how to manage money responsibly within the demands of the American system. My respectful response was that any family that can save $10,000 in one year seems to demonstrate some knowledge of finances. She was stunned to learn about their savings, and quickly agreed to approve their loan package. The Shah family decided to buy a house newly constructed by PHA. Over the next ten months, they met with architects to design a house with elements of traditional Afghan style and shopped for flooring, cabinets and paint. The family celebrated Thanksgiving Day by moving into their new home. They baked bread for their neighbors, and they bought colored lights to hang on their front porch for the holidays. Sometimes when I sit on their new Oriental rug eating eggplant and rice, I can’t believe it is reality. Generous and warm, the Shahs thank me for “giving them” the house, but I know the truth. Nothing has come to them easily, and they have survived many hardships. The Shah family works hard, and they save every extra dollar. They are a study in the resilience of the refugee spirit. They don’t dwell on all that they have lost. Their determination to live as survivors, rather than victims, has built their home in Charlottesville. Jennifer Olson is an AmeriCorps*VISTA member and financial asset coordinator at the IRC’s Charlottesville resettlement office. Posted By: Kathleen Sands | Refugees in the U.S. Permalink |
