Habitat for Humanity East Bay

Meet the Padilla Family

It appears that typical sibling rivalry doesn’t exist in the Padilla household as Armando has made it clear that his goal is to help his sister, Miriam, own her own home.

The siblings moved from Mexico four years ago when Armando received notice that his request for legal permanent residency had been approved. Although he was studying to be an architectural engineer, the opportunities in the United States seemed more promising.

However, life so far has been difficult. Both sister and brother have been living in a three bedroom apartment with seven other people, including Miriam’s one-year-old son, Alejandro, and working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Additionally, their neighborhood is riddled with drug dealing and shootings, making it an unsafe place to raise a toddler.

For these reasons, Armando decided to pursue homeownership with his sister. “For me it is a big step I’m taking,” he says, “and more than that, I’m helping my sister and nephew.”

Traditional homeownership seemed unattainable, however, until the two learned about Habitat East Bay’s program. “We decided to purchase a home when we heard from Habitat and saw the big help Habitat gives to families like us: no down payment, reasonable mortgage payments, and good opportunities,” Armando said.

Both Armando and Miriam are looking forward to their futures, now that a significant piece of the puzzle is in place. “For me, something that I would like to do first is attend school to learn English to prepare myself to find a better job for the future of my son,” Miriam says.

And, Armando? “I want to save money to continue the education I started in Mexico so I can get a degree in architectural engineering,” he says.