The Dream of Home Ownership
- May 13
- 7 min read
(2026) It is often called part of the American Dream; to own your own home, your own piece of land and a secure place for your family. In the USA currently the divide between the "haves" and the "have nots" continue to widen. There is at least one organization of note that tries to close that gap, Habitat for Humanity.
The most famous proponent of the Habitat organization was the late President Jimmy Carter. His loyal involvement put a spotlight on this remarkable organization. The organization often receives or purchases abandoned land resources or older homesteads that they then can build new upon or rehabilitate previously owned properties. A few general contractors work directly for the organization but the manual labor force is majorly a group of volunteers who work under supervision. The finish homes are NOT given to families free of charge but at a reduced rate due to the volunteer construction workers, government and other grants, as well as lower rate mortgage loans.
When individuals and/or families arrive as refugees, apartment living is the first step to stability for the family. When former "Lost Boy of the Sudan," Fidele Dhan arrived in the USA in February 2001, he and other "Lost Boys" shared an apartment in Syracuse, NY. Two years later, after a GED and Associate Degree, in 2003 he moved from Syracuse to Buffalo to begin school at the University of Buffalo. All the preparations were complete except for housing.
Checking with area African families they were often very large families in very small apartments. Biblically speaking: there was "no room at the inn." However, miracles happen: Check out: Fidele’s Story “ROTA: Lost Boys in Buffalo” https://www.youtube.com/embed/K9QdeL-WJAE
While on his second visit to his ancestral home of Koiyom Village in South Sudan in 2007, Fidele's family arranged his marriage and he began a family of his own. Fidele relocated his wife and other members of his father's family from Sudan to outside Kampala, Uganda. In that location there was a greater availability of schools for education, healthcare, and an American dollar provided much more in exchange than in Sudan currency. In Uganda Fidele's first born son, Diing, would often cry uncontrollably when he discovered that his Baba left in the middle of the night to return to the US. Finally in January 2015, when the boy turned six, Fidele asked me again about his son traveling with him back to Buffalo. I inquired when Fidele's wife and remaining children would be moving to Buffalo as well. I was told in three months time and so I agreed with the plan.
It was January 15th 2015 when we welcomed young Diing to Buffalo along with winter hats, gloves, boots etc. The child didn't know why the fuss was being made until we left the airport terminal into the sub-zero temperatures outside. The little one would talk daily with his mom on the telephone but had to wait until one and a half years later, to be reunited with his mom, two sisters, and baby brother. Once united together again in Buffalo, with the permission of the St. Lawrence parish community they all lived in the "house keepers" quarters on the ground floor of the St. Lawrence Parish Rectory.
In 2017 they began their searching for their first apartment in Buffalo. By a miraculous coincidence, I was sitting at a table of Confirmation candidates and parents from one of my parishes. The young mom of one of our candidates mentioned that she was born on the west side of Buffalo on Breckenridge street and their family was fixing up the two family home so they could rent it out. She said, she'd really like to offer the opportunity to one of the African families she heard me speak about. "I have just the family for you," I said. In May of 2017, on the day of little Diing's First Holy Communion, the family moved from the rectory at St. Lawrence to their new first apartment together as a family in Buffalo. Shortly later, baby Aguer was born.
Life continued onward until the homeowners declare that they had to sell the property to help finance their children's Catholic High School education. While we understood perfectly, we had to move forward to find yet another dwelling for a family now with seven members. As before, I knew that taking it to prayer will open doors. Through one of my contacts, I heard about a local "Church of Christ" pastor who owned a house on the West Side of Buffalo, as it happens on Breckenridge street, and was scheduled to rent out the upper finished apartment. I met with him and saw the finished apartment. It looked great but it was already taken. Pastor Mike gave me a tour of the lower apartment. It was in real rough shape with three broken old windows, a non-functioning bathroom and kitchen. "This one needs a lot of work," pastor Mike exclaimed. It was already mid November and the sale of the property where Fidele and family had been living was imminent.
I secured a crew of guys from my church who, on one Saturday morning and afternoon, descended upon the lower apartment and painted the whole expanse, painting over the hot pink and lime green bedroom walls as well as all the other rooms of the house. I inquired and received a emergency donation of three replacement windows and Pastor Mike purchased the remaining ones to secure the bottom floor dwelling. A contractor friend went to bat for me and secured a donation of kitchen cabinets, sink, flooring etc. and two of his contractors volunteered to do the demo and install. Pastor Mike worked to install the flooring that ran from the living room through the dining room and to the kitchen hallway as well as hired contractors to install a new bathroom.
We were now in mid-December and Fidele's family needed to vacate their previous apartment. We put them up in a hotel room for two weeks, driving the children to and from school. We were able to move most of their belongings and place them in the living and dining room of their future apartment along one of the side walls in storage while the flooring in the rest of the dwelling was being completed. With a small crew, on December 23rd, while the window, kitchen and bathroom contractors were on the job, we were able to set up the family's belongings just in time for their arrival on the next day, Christmas Eve. We were even able to assemble their green Christmas tree leaving the decorating of it to the family. The children were wondering If Santa Claus would know their change of address. Of course St. Nick was able to make the delivery on time.
While in their new dwelling, Fidele and his wife both joined Habitat for Humanity and began accruing hours needed to be considered for a home of their own. They worked with them for a number of years but the offered properties were much too small. Finally there was a lead on two properties, just down the block from the St. Lawrence Church. These where both two-family homes that Habitat was transforming into two large one-family homes. Fidele and his wife lost no time in putting forward a request for one of those homes. Three of us visited the properties throughout the different stages of demolition and renovation. Fidele and Abang were even involved in the work on their property.
Meanwhile back on Breckenridge, Pastor Mike had to sell the house where the family had been. We thought that we would face yet another housing predicament but Pastor Mike assisted and the new Canadian owner agreed to retain the Dhan family in the lower apartment. This went well at least for the first year but having an absentee landlord who needed to contract out any and all work needed to maintain the property rose the level of tension between the owner and tenants.
The need to move the remodel of the Habitat house forward at a quicker pace was communicated forward. I was able to pull together a crew of eight who put in a whole Saturday at both properties. We majorly were working on the house siding. Our total hours of work helped push Fidele's family over their work requirement hours.
They were given a projection of a June date for completion of the Habitat project. That plan could have worked out well for the situation between the family and the landlord which grew ever more tense. It was communicate to the landlord that the family would be leaving at the end of May, however, as with anyone's best laid plans, Habitat was not yet complete with their work. Here again, we had to take it to prayer for doors to open.
In the same timeframe, the local Franciscan Friars were leaving one of our parishes in the Buffalo Vicariate and abandoning a solid brick rectory. Negotiations began and the family was able to secure and rent the rectory for a few months until their Habitat home was ready. This was the third and yet a temporary dwelling for the reunited family.
What was supposed to be a temporary rental for about three months turned out to be a long eight months. Special thanks to the parish community of SS. Columba Brigid and also Family Promise for their patience as we awaited the completion of the home renovation project.
The day for the ribbon cutting on the new home with Habitat was finally scheduled for November. Everyone was excited. As the children entered the completed house for the first time there wasn't a part of the house they didn't explore. They even began to claim their upstairs rooms. A sizable crowd gathered for prayer, speeches and finally the ribbon cutting.
Fidele was overcome with emotion which expressed itself in a quiet and somber manner.
Though the Ribbon cutting happened in November, the bank mortgage closure for the home did not until February 2026. Finally the move in date was set and the reality and blessing of living in one's own home began. Congratulations Fidele and family.
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