Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on home for single mom

From staff reports

On Wednesday, June 5, Habitat for Humanity will join Haley Ball and her family to dedicate the land where their new home be built at the New Waves site on the corner of M-72 and Bugai Road in Elmwood Township.

Ball is a single mother of two, with a daughter in elementary school and a preschooler. In 2022, their small family needed to very quickly transition from their family home to a safe and stable environment. Despite their misfortune, Ball exuded optimism. “Luckily, I had family in the area, who had room where the kids and I could stay,” she said. Rather than dwelling on her situation, she expressed her gratitude to her friends and family who “moved us, helped us, fed us, and housed us.”

Haley told Habitat, “It is almost impossible to get a foot in the door as a first time home buyer in Northern Michigan on a single, lower income.” Fortunately, Haley was encouraged by her friend Eric—a Depot Neighbor homeowner—to explore the possibility of Habitat homeownership. Eric shared with her that Habitat could be able to give her the same opportunity to get back on her feet, as it did for him many years ago.

Now Habitat is giving Haley and her family “the opportunity to start over, set roots, heal, and then one day, hopefully be able to generously give back to our local community.” Haley will be the third New Waves homeowner. Construction will begin within days of the groundbreaking.