When they moved to Canada in 2020, Ghassane and Hajar came with a vision for the life they wanted to build: new opportunities, a place to grow, and a bright, stable future for their two daughters.
Building that life has meant finding stable jobs and working hard. But one of the biggest challenges they have faced is one shared by many people in Ottawa and across the country: finding a home that is safe, affordable and able to meet their family’s needs.
“It’s very challenging in today’s economy to find a house, whether to rent or to own, that can fulfill all of our needs and where we can offer to our two daughters the quality of life we came for to Canada,” Ghassane shares.
For Ghassane and Hajar, the search for a home has never been simply about finding somewhere to live. It is about creating the kind of environment where their daughters can grow, explore their potential and feel secure. Their daughters have been a driving force behind everything they have worked to achieve.
“After the birth of our oldest daughter we started working harder than ever to make her life the best it can be. The birth of our youngest made that commitment even stronger,” says Ghassane.
That commitment is part of what brought them to Habitat’s Affordable Homeownership Program. By building pathways to affordable homeownership, Habitat partners with people to invest in our community’s future. Affordable homeownership provides people with a real opportunity to build equity and break the cycle of housing instability for good. This action sparks wide change that strengthens individuals, families and communities.
For Ghassane and Hajar, the path to owning a home means they can begin looking beyond immediate financial and housing challenges and towards the opportunities that come with stable, long-term homeownership. To them, they’re looking forward to raising their daughters in a place they can call their own, planning for the years ahead, and continuing to build the life they came to Canada to create.
Their story reflects why affordable homeownership matters for so many. A safe and affordable home isn’t just a dream, but the starting point for people to thrive. It can give people the foundation to pursue their goals, the ability to put down roots, and a future where they can build a life on their own terms.
And for Ghassane, Hajar and their daughters, that future is getting closer.
Stay tuned as we continue to share the stories of future Beechcliffe homeowners who are building a brighter future through affordable homeownership.
Beechcliffe Homes
Nepean, ON
33 Available homes.
Built in partnership with the Province of Ontario, City of Ottawa, and Caivan.
