Family in St. Stephen, N.B., takes ownership of town’s first Habitat for Humanity house

A family of five is the first to have a Habitat for Humanity home dedicated in the town of St. Stephen, N.B.

A ceremony was held on Friday in the town, which borders the American city of Calais, Maine.

Jennifer and Troy Sutherland and their three boys Cody, Kris and Caleb have been living in the three-bedroom bungalow for about a week, but the keys were officially handed over on Friday.

An emotional Jennifer Sutherland spoke of the joy of owning your own home.

“Troy … came home one day he’s like, ‘You know what, Jen?'” Sutherland said. “I said, ‘What?’ He goes, ‘The house is ours.'”

Becoming a Habitat for Humanity homeowner is no simple task. Potential homeowners must meet a lot of requirements, including dealing with a mortgage, mandatory volunteer hours and an extensive education program.

“We go through things like credit counselling,” said Kevin Perry, CEO for Habitat for Humanity in Saint John Region. “We go through maintenance, how to look after the home, what happens when the power goes out.

“They’re the landlord now. There’s no landowner involved now (because) they’re the homeowner.”

The St. Stephen house was built by the St. Andrew’s campus of the New Brunswick Community College, which is one of the sponsors, along with J.D. Irving.

It’s a huge Christmas gift in itself, even though the kids might be hoping for a few things under the tree.

“I’ll probably take two little Lego sets,’ said eight-year-old Kris. “That’s probably about it.”