Fontroy, right, outside his mother’s former home that now belongs to him.
Son Purchases Mother’s Habitat Home
As a child, Fontroy witnessed his mother’s struggle to find a stable home, moving from house to house with no permanent place to call their own.
“All of these trials and tribulations. My mom cried many nights that she just wanted to get us in a home versus someone else’s house,” he said.
That all changed when she purchased a house through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Omaha in 1996. Her home at the corner of 26th and Sprague streets was a haven for her and her children.
“Not only me, but it was also a haven for everyone in her family – her grandkids, her nephews, her nieces, and everyone who shares Anita’s home,” Fontroy said. “That’s where everyone was always at.”
Sadly, Fontroy’s mother, Anita, passed away in February 2023. Habitat Omaha purchased the house, and the equity was divided up among Fontroy and his siblings. Fontroy was determined to buy his mother’s home and keep it in the family. That was when he reached out to Habitat Omaha.
“Is there anything I can do to get this home?” he asked.
Habitat Omaha staff knew his mother and loved his determination and a willing partner to help Fontroy achieve his homeownership dream.
“I had to take classes,” Fontroy said. “I did not miss one day of class. I was here on time. Every task they sent me, I got it done immediately. I wasn’t going to stop doing what I had to do to get this home for my mom. I knew how much it meant to her.”
Purchasing his mother’s house was not about the physical space, but the memories in that space.
“Sometimes you have sentimental value in certain things. This home was one of them. This was one of the sentimental values I’ll cherish as long as I’m here,” Fontroy said. “If anybody was going to do this, it was going to be me. I wasn’t going to stop.”
On Dec. 10, a year and a half after beginning his homeowner journey, Fontroy closed on his home and received the keys to a property that was once his mother’s.
“Once I got those keys in my hand and I rang that bell, I knew it was official like a referee’s whistle,” he said. “This whole journey has been nothing but a blessing.”
Fontroy, who returned to Omaha from California, will share his home with his son, two stepchildren and their mother. The house is Anita’s legacy, one that Fontroy hopes to keep for generations to come.
“She showed me firsthand what to do. We may not have had a physical conversation about generational wealth or how to keep a legacy, but she showed me with actions. Sometimes actions speak louder than words,” he said through tears. “When she showed me that, it sparked something in me, and I wanted to be able to spark that in my kids.”
Fontroy plans to prepare a Transfer on Death Deed to ensure the home gets passed down to his children. Habitat Omaha offers events throughout the year to aid homeowners with the process.
“I want my kids to have the same testimony that I have for my mom,” he said. “I would love to leave my house for my kids. I would love them to cherish this home like I did because there are a lot of memories here. This isn’t only a house, it’s a home.”
He also wants to share his story to encourage others to never give up.
“Even when you think it’s dark, a light still will shine.”