SUFFOLK, Va. — When Shaquita Outlaw was growing up, she lived with her grandmother on Cedar Street in Suffolk.
On Saturday afternoon, the latest house from the Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads was dedicated to her, and she will be raising her children and her younger sister in this home.
It's also directly across the street from the home where she grew up, a statement from the organization says.
“I knew I always wanted to be a homeowner, but I never knew where to start,” Outlaw said.
In high school, she worked at Burger King to help provide for her grandmother and siblings.
She then went to work at Newport News Shipbuilding, but struggled financially until she decided to dedicate herself to fixing her credit score, going to church and creating stability for her children.
"I thank God and Habitat for Humanity for choosing me to become a homeowner," she said.
The home was constructed during Frontline Heroes Build Week, which was in October of 2021 and had volunteer teams of military members, police officers, firefighters, EMS and healthcare workers come together to build.
In order to qualify to be a homeowner through Habitat for Humanity, a person must have a stable job, good credit and the ability to pay a mortgage. They must also attend educational homeownership courses and invest 200 hours of physical help towards the building of their home.
