Walking through Duffy’s future home, it’s easy to see the empty space, a blank slate still in the final stages of construction.  

But this home is already packed, filled with hope, for herself and her children.  

“I think in our family situation it gives a lot of hope and some stability that’s really needed right now,” said Duffy, who is looking forward to a better, more consistent future for herself and her three young children. “This really will feel like a stable place,” Duffy said. “It’s a huge deal.” 

Duffy is about to become a first-time homebuyer with Habitat for Humanity Portland Region. Her new home is one of 18 in the Hillsboro community of Century Commons. She and her children have been living in a temporary housing situation with a friend since last year, with all three of her kids, ages 11, 9 and 7, sharing one room.  

She tried to find an apartment, but the rents available weren’t affordable for a single mom. She has lived in and around Hillsboro for 17 years and has seen the rents soar out or reach. 

“Just being able to afford rent in the area, even for a two-bedroom or three-bedroom, it’s just beyond what I’m able to do with my income.” 

Last year, she applied to Habitat for the chance to buy a home she could afford, and when she was approved, it launched a new chapter in her life. She immediately signed up for her participation hours to help build her home, meeting and working alongside her future neighbors, and learning new skills on the build site. 

“When I started, I knew how to use a drill and a stud finder and a leveler,” she said. “But now I know how to use so many more power tools and feel so much more confident on fixing things in my home that I wouldn’t have been able to do.” 

She’s been onsite to see the community come together since October, she said, and learned how to do framing, hang doors, install baseboards and door casings, and fix subflooring. One of the most memorable days, she said, was helping a neighbor raise one of the walls in their home.  

“I love the connection of the people that I’ve met,” Duffy said, adding that she plans to continue volunteering with Habitat even after she’s completed her participation requirements.  

“I want to continue building on those skills that I’ve learned already, because there’s always something to learn,” she said.  

Even before the first homebuyer moves in, Century commons has already become a neighborhood in a way. Duffy said she’s met most of her new neighbors through various onsite community days organized by Habitat. They share each other’s stories, and talk about their children, and she knows her kids will have friends their ages to play with once they move in. 

Duffy is one of five children herself, and growing up, her family always rented and moved often. Now, becoming a homeowner, Duffy sees herself as a model for her own children in how to advocate for themselves, work hard to get what you want, and know that there is support out there when you need it. For Duffy, that support was Habitat. 

“This opportunity is incredible. I think having it feel unattainable for so long and then just to have the help and support from an organization like Habitat: I’ve taken financial classes, homebuyer classes, and that has been really helpful to understand the process.” 

In addition to classes in buying a home, Habitat offers courses and workshops on financial wellness, employment skills, home maintenance and improvements, and community building.  

Duffy works for the statewide charter school TEACH-NW, a job she loves and one that gives her a perspective on the role of housing stability in children’s education. There is a stark difference between the students that have a stable home environment and those that do not, she said. It shows in their confidence and their hope for the future, how they view themselves and what they can accomplish, she said. 

Her own children have a big adjustment ahead of them too. They will each have their own bedroom for the first time. 

“They’ve all shared a room since they were young, but they are getting to the ages where they need their own space, so being able to provide that for them through this opportunity is huge.,” Duffy said. 

Of course, they have already picked out their own rooms, and Duffy thinks often of the day they get to move in.  

“I’m excited!” she said. “I feel like there’s a lot of peace in our future.”