Hutchinson Family Finds Sense of Community as First-Time Homebuyers
Owning a home can be a rewarding endeavor, but with the current housing market, interest rates, and economic challenges, it’s a dream that can feel impossible to achieve. Fortunately for Hutchinson couple Jairus and Courtney Scott, that dream is now a reality, thanks to ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding, partnerships built through the Hutchinson Housing Commission, and the blood, sweat and tears of home restoration. Jairus works for a property management company, and while renovating a house that his boss intended to turn into a rental, he had a bigger vision for it—his family home.
“A big dream coming true is buying a house. That was something that we always wanted. We wanted to get our own house, let it be our own, personalize it, raise our family in it.”
But when Jairus initially showed Courtney the home, which was structurally sound but badly outdated, she wasn’t immediately sold. And with a toddler and a baby on the way, it wasn’t a light decision to make.
“The first time I saw it was less than ideal. I couldn’t see it at first. He was able to help me picture it. And I’m glad he did. But when he first mentioned it, my thought was, ‘Well we don’t have the money for that.’ The barrier I would say was finances.”
Courtney and Jairus' vision of a family home was slowly beginning to take shape but coming up with a down payment in time made it feel almost impossible—almost. Jairus’ work on the home soon turned from patching up walls to patching together resources.
“My boss introduced us to Interfaith Housing and how they have different resources and programs. That’s when we got in touch with the IDA program as far as getting assistance for the first-time homebuyer program.”
The Scott Family was able to attend a variety of homeowner classes that qualified them for eligibility for resources and grants from Interfaith Housing and the City of Hutchinson—affording them a $17,000 down payment.
“With Interfaith, we did $4,000 of our own money, then they gave $8,000 matching that. The first-time homebuyer grant was another $7,500 and the city grant was $2,000. Homeownership didn’t seem to be in reach without these programs. It would have been years of saving. The programs didn’t cost us anything financially, but it did take time and focus and determination to go through courses we had to do.”
Now that they have a home of their own and are settled in with their children, the Scott’s encourage other young people to pursue their dreams of home ownership, and are embracing the sense of community they’ve found.
“It’s being able to feel really established not only in the town but the neighborhood, and the house itself, making it our own to where we're really proud of it. It’s the beginning of our life as a family. It’s worth it.”