Sacramento resident Ploua Xiong says her dream has always been to give her children a safe home, one with room to grow and play — and to move out of their cramped, bug infested one-bedroom apartment.
The single mother-of-three made that dream come true last month, with a little help. Xiong received keys to her new three-bedroom home in Meadowview after putting in more than 500 hours of sweat equity into the structure, through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento’s homeownership program.
That meant months of Xiong wielding a jackhammer, shovel and paint brush, alongside hundreds of Habitat volunteers.
“I’m so happy that my life is about to change,” Xiong said at a home dedication ceremony organized by the nonprofit homebuilder. “I’m grateful for all the help from Habitat for Humanity. My children will have a room for them to study and a backyard for them to run around.”
Ploua Xiong's son, Jason, watch's his sister, Maggie, cut the ribbon to their new home on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Sacramento, Calif.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
The ceremony followed months of sacrifice. To complete Habitat’s required 500 hours of sweat equity, Xiong switched her schedule as a full-time telecommunications technician to the night shift.
“It’s really a struggle,” she said of her grueling schedule. “Sometimes I feel dizzy. I don’t have enough sleep. But I have to because I feel it’s not something to get easy.”
Scott Higgins, the project’s construction supervisor, took notice.
“She is one of the hardest working people that I’ve had the privilege of working with,” Higgins said, noting Xiong became an expert siding installer.
“She would work her tail off all day. It didn’t matter what we were doing,” he added.
Ploua Xiong's new home in Sacramento, Calif. Friday, June 9, 2023.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Xiong’s new home is a former blighted property that she and Habitat volunteers stripped to the studs and rebuilt. The former owners donated it to Habitat through the city of Sacramento’s Justice for Neighbors program.
The Habitat chapter builds and repairs homes for low-income residents across the Sacramento region. Its program allows new owners to purchase homes with a 30-year-mortgage and zero percent interest rate.
Xiong says her new home means stability. For her sons, Jason, 13, and Jesse, 11, it will mean they won’t have to camp out in a tent in their living room to gain some privacy. They’ll share their own room, and her daughter, Maggie, 9, will have her own room.
“This is really special to me,” Jason said before the ceremony. “I was living inside the apartment for 13 years and I really like this house. And I want to live in it. So, I'm very excited.”
Jesse says his home’s big backyard will give him the chance to practice soccer, something he couldn’t do near the apartment. “I want to join my school soccer team next year,” he added.
Ploua Xiong and her daughter, Maggie, stand in the kitchen of their new home through Habitat for Humanity, Friday, June 9, 2023 in Sacramento, Calif.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Once settled in the new home, Xiong says she’s hoping to save money for college for her children and to help them excel in school.
“My dream is to support my children,” she told the crowd gathered at the dedication ceremony.
All the hard work, she added, was worth it.
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento or apply for homeownership, visit habitatgreatersac.org.
Contact CapRadio reporter Chris Nichols at [email protected]
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