Former tenants of Ehrlo Housing have received the keys to their castle.

Virgie and Cesar have purchased their first home after years of living in affordable housing geared to low-income families.

The couple, along with their son Ryan, immigrated from the Philippines in December 2019. While they worked hard to find their footing and navigate a competitive housing market, Virgie and Cesar found an affordable opportunity with Ehrlo Housing.

The family of three moved into a two-bedroom suite at Lakeshore Village.  

“The family were such good tenants, and we had nothing but great experiences with them,” said Shelley Sayer, director of Ehrlo Housing. “They took good care of their unit and we’re happy they found a new, beautiful home." 

Through a series of serendipitous events, Virgie and Cesar found themselves with an opportunity to secure a mortgage through a private lender. Virgie said accumulating a downpayment while working minimum-wage jobs proved challenging, but not impossible.

“I was working two jobs at the time,” she explained. “I worked a full-time retail job and then in the evenings I worked part-time doing commercial cleaning because my husband could not find work. It was really hard for us to rent and save while managing our daily expenses, but it was possible. It just took determination.”

“It does take a certain amount of grit and gumption to be able to do this,” Shelley agreed. “The family has to do the work. We can support them as much as possible through ensuring their housing is secure and in good condition, but really it’s all them and their ability to make this happen for themselves.”

“We’re pretty proud of them,” she continued.

Virgie and her family took possession and made the move to their new Whitmore Park home on September 30^th.

“The neighbourhood is a quiet one,” said Virgie. “Our neighbours are nice, and we feel so welcome. We like it here.”

The family is enjoying their new home, but a favourite place has quickly become their own backyard.

“We are now able to go into the garden and can move more freely. We have our backyard and are now experiencing mowing the grass and raking the leaves which we were not able to experience before,” Virgie said proudly.

“I feel so happy owning a home in Canada. I know it’s privilege and it’s a big opportunity." 

Ehrlo Housing operates as part of Ranch Ehrlo Society’s community services and its mandate is to provide affordable housing to low-income families, individuals with enduring mental health conditions, and young people transitioning from care. Learn more about Ehrlo Housing.