- Kimberly King purchased her Habitat for Humanity home in 2004, giving her children stability and a sense of belonging. Now, 20 years later, the home is fully paid off and ready to be passed down.
- Before owning their house, the family lived in Crown Point. Kimberly said homeownership gave her children comfort and security, while daughter Karlyn described it as “a fresh start” that brought them closer together.
- Habitat for Humanity leaders emphasize that affordable housing opens doors for low- to moderate-income families, helping build generational wealth and empowering new homeowners.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For many families in North Omaha, owning a home can feel out of reach. But when the chance finally comes—watching a house rise from the ground up can change everything.
The King family experienced that transformation firsthand when they moved into their Habitat for Humanity home back in 2004.
“She paved the way— and now I’m just walking on it and pushing my niece through it,” said daughter Karlyn King-Estwick, now 27.
Her mother, Kimberly King, said the move was life-changing for the family. Before their Habitat home, they lived in the Crown Point neighborhood, where stability was harder to come by.
“I wanted to be stable— I wanted them to feel comfortable, have a sense of belonging… having ownership of something,” Kimberly said.
Karlyn remembers how much the move reshaped their lives.
“I feel like we were more together. It was something new, it was something that was great for all of us— it was a fresh start.”
Now, two decades later, Kimberly has fully paid off her mortgage.
“I feel like I have something that I can pass down to my children— something they can have, if something ever happened to me,” she said.
That ability to build stability and generational wealth is exactly what Habitat for Humanity strives to make possible for families, said Lacy Studnicka with Habitat Omaha.
“For us, we want to make sure there is always homeowner availability and access to low to moderate income families — that no matter what your income is, that stability and that generational wealth is available to you,” Studnicka explained.
For Karlyn, her mother’s example is a source of inspiration.
“It makes me feel like I can accomplish anything— the world is mines, it’s in my hand right now.”
This Saturday, Habitat for Humanity will celebrate more than 20 families who have paid off their homes in the last three years. And with each milestone, a new door opens for the next family to begin their journey.
In North Omaha, I’m Melissa Wright.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
