Earlier this year, Asia Snipes, a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office public safety telecommunicator, began her journey to first-time homeownership with Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco Counties. This organization, which the sheriff’s office has partnered with for the past seven years, builds homes for individuals who need assistance in the neighborhoods we serve.
After being approved to receive a Habitat home, Asia turned in the necessary paperwork to receive a mortgage and submitted documents, including tax returns, check stubs, a detailed list of expenses, and an essay on why she wanted to become a homeowner.
In the second phase of Asia’s journey, she must complete required classes about maintaining a home and 350 "sweat equity" hours, which go toward earning the house. The classes include sessions on budgeting, yard maintenance, and fire safety, which all prepare new homeowners on how to take care of their residence.
What have the classes been like?
The classes are all virtual and going very well. They prepare you as much as possible for homeownership. The average person may go to a bank, apply for a mortgage, and buy a house without any true knowledge of what it takes to be a homeowner. Habitat for Humanity wants to set you up for success and not be surprised about anything, so they make sure you know what’s ahead.
What can a prospective Habitat homeowner expect when doing these assignments?
Each class is about an hour-long, and you must take notes in order to get credit for the class. After it’s over, I turn in my notes, and they count for one hour of sweat equity, which goes toward earning my home. During a typical week, I spend about 10 hours in classes. I try to take them on my days off or during my lunch hour. Some classes are mandatory to complete the program, and some are optional.
How have the classes been helpful to you?
The most recent class I took was on tree and yard maintenance. One of the topics they covered was cutting down trees. If you take one down, you have to plant a new one. There are rules in place that tell you which trees you are allowed to plant in your yard too. There are also legalities about tree maintenance, such as when your tree hangs over someone else’s property. I have learned a lot from classes like that, and they even help me do my job at the sheriff’s office when people call us with questions.
What are some of the challenges of getting through this stage of the process?
People need to be aware of the time commitment that comes with receiving a Habitat home. There is a lot of screen time, paperwork, and it can be overwhelming at times. Nothing is going to be handed to you. They make it clear that they are not babysitters; they are partners who are there to guide you along the way and provide you with the knowledge you need.
What are some of the benefits of going through this stage of the journey to homeownership?
I don’t like to ask for help, but I don’t want myself or my daughters to be helpless. I’ve been learning all of these skills so I can identify what I can fix on my own and when I might need to hire a professional. My girls have also had the added incentive of getting good grades in school. For every A or B they receive, our family earns sweat equity hours. Any kind of accomplishments they make in school, like getting on the honor roll, also contribute to building our home.
To read our previous article about Asia Snipes' journey with Habitat for Humanity, click here.
