When Hans and Ruthie Saucier moved into their Habitat home, the oldest of their five children was only 10. The youngest was 5. It was a full house, filled with love, energy, and hope. 

That was nearly 20 years ago. The children have grown up and moved out, with careers of their own now. But the love, energy and hope that was there from that first day in 2005, is as strong as ever. 

“I believe there’s an extremely good energy in our home that was built by people who cared about their community,” Hans said recently. “It’s lovely, and whether you believe in some kind of aura or karma, or a faith, or any kind of belief, it all comes back to trying to be a good person in your community and helping someone and serving each other. And I feel like my community served my home well. I’m thankful for that.” 

And, of course, the kids still visit regularly, returning to the old neighborhood they and other families helped create: Back to the 4-bedroom home their parents helped build. It was a major change for the family of 7 that had been living in a 2-bedroom rental. 

“It was a great time for us,” Hans said, reflecting on the early days in their new home. 

With 14 new, family-sized homes, Agape Square in Northeast Portland was a significant community for Habitat 20 years ago. Its residents – many of whom still live there from its earliest days — brought together cultures from around the world. He and his wife Ruthie lived in Israel for many years before moving back to the United States, and Portland, in 2001. 

At that time, the region’s housing market was already heating up, and finding an affordable place to live was increasingly challenging. What they could afford was renting a 2-bedroom house, with all five children sleeping in one room. Soon after, the couple began partnering with Habitat to build a home of their own. They were onsite almost every weekend taking part in the construction – working alongside volunteers and future neighbors. 

“Most of those people that came out, they were coming out because they wanted to help their community. They were wanting to help, and that is something that we will always be eternally grateful for,” said Hans. Today he serves as president of the community’s homeowners association. “It’s an amazing community.” 

The home was a turning point, Hans said. He and his wife now had a favorable mortgage. The children had the space and stability they needed, without having to leave their school district, which was important for the family. 

“I believe having a stable family environment is huge for the success of parents and kids,” Hans said. “If you have to move every year, or every three, four years, it puts a strain on the family dynamic, and it also puts a strain on your financial health.” 

Professionally, Hans became more established in Portland, and eventually moved from construction to property management. With their financial outlook growing stronger, the family started saving money and planning for their family’s future.  

“In life, you hope that you have options, whether it’s your home or your job. I think that’s one of the reasons why education is key to people. And being in a stable home gave that to us for our kids. It gives you options. When you don’t have those options, the world gets a whole lot smaller.”