Building Hope and a New Future

Heidi has done a lot of building over the last few years. First, the single mother of three had to rebuild her finances, getting out of debt and improving her credit score. That enabled her to tackle her next project: Building her own home.

“At the time it felt like this is going to take forever,” Heidi said. “It’s so hard and I didn’t know if I could keep going, but then you see houses start to come together and you tell yourself, ‘This will be OK, you can do this.’”

Heidi received the keys to her home in October 2025. It’s part of a new neighborhood in Buhl that was built with the help of South Central Community Action Partnership and the Self Help Housing program it offers.

“Families who participate in the program must commit to 35 hours a week to help build the home,” said Jenny Vega, who is the Housing Coordinator for the Self Help Housing Program for South Central Community Action Partnership. “No down payment is required; by building a house, families gain instant sweat equity upon moving.”

Heidi’s journey began in 2022, when she learned about the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which helps participants become economically independent. She started tackling her debt with the goal of eventually owning her own home.

While taking part in the Family Self-Sufficiency program, Heidi heard about HOPES, which helps participants understand everything that goes into buying a home, including how to better manage their money while building their savings. The Idaho Housing Foundation matches the money participants save at a three times rate, meaning Heidi had a total of $12,000 to spend toward necessities for her new home.

“I wouldn’t have been able to build a fence on my own or get a lawn mower or these beautiful furniture gifts for my home,” Heidi said. “HOPES provided things I wouldn’t have been able to afford for years.”

It’s more than just the material things. Heidi said she’s learned a lot about debt-to-income ratios and the impact co-signing on a loan can have on your credit. Heidi is teaching her teenage daughter the things she learned in HOPES so her daughter doesn’t make the same financial mistakes she made.

“I wish I had been in this program before I made decisions that have impacted me. The HOPES program was the cherry on top of my dreams, teaching me how to be self-sufficient.”