When Tayien and Dev sit across the table from hopeful first-time homebuyers, they see more than just clients – they see reflections of their younger selves. Now key members of Habitat for Humanity of Omaha’s Family Services team, both grew up in Habitat homes. The same foundation that gave them safety and belonging fuels their drive to help others become homeowners.

“We all see them as us,” Tayien said. “Habitat has impacted many people on the Family Services team at some point in time. Because of that impact, it allows us to see those clients that come in through the door as ourselves, as our family.”

Tayien and Dev were teenagers when their families moved to the U.S. from South Sudan and Nepal, respectively. Each family had fled war-torn countries in search of safety and opportunity.

Dev, far right, a mortgage loan associate for Habitat Omaha, leads a bell ringing for a family who closed on their home.

Helping Others Like Him

Dev’s parents, originally from Bhutan, fled to Nepal after the Bhutanese government tried to evict thousands of citizens. They lived in a camp in Nepal for nearly 18 years. Initially, his parents were against immigrating to the U.S.

“My parents were so scared,” he said. “But more people started to come so finally they changed their minds.”

After arriving in Omaha from Los Angeles, Calif., Dev’s parents rented a two-bedroom apartment for their family of five. While their parents and older sister had their own rooms, 16-year-old Dev and his brother slept in the living room.

“We used to take turns sleeping on the couch,” he said.

At the time, the family had just one income. Two years after moving to the U.S., Dev’s parents purchased a home in partnership with Habitat.

“It was nice,” said Dev, who still lives in the home with his parents.

His family’s situation and the aid they received led Dev to seek a career helping people, including refugees like himself.

He served as an interpreter for the Charles Drew Health Center. He also worked with individuals in English as a second language classes. Once they learned enough of the language, they could apply for jobs.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in business administration, Dev worked at Lutheran Family Services as an economic development program coordinator and an employment specialist.

Ryan, a former coworker at Lutheran Family Services, was working for Habitat Omaha and told Dev about an opportunity on Habitat Omaha’s Family Services team.

“That’s what I had been waiting for,” he said. “I applied and luckily Tayien hired me.”

Needing to Better Their Lives

Ongoing conflict and violence forced Tayien, her parents and her siblings to flee their homes in South Sudan. During that time, they were separated from her father. He was in one camp, while the rest of the family was in another.

Eventually, Tayien’s father received a visa to immigrate to the U.S. He then sponsored his family to make the move as well.

Tayien and her family lived in San Diego, Calif., for a few years after arriving in the U.S. As other South Sudanese families moved to Nebraska, Tayien and her family followed and settled in Omaha.

For the first six months, her family, including seven siblings, lived in the former Wintergreen Apartments, now the site of Habitat Omaha’s Bluestem Prairie development.

“My parents realized they needed something better, so they applied for a Habitat home,” Tayien said.

The house was more than just a home for the family.

“It was for our community,” she said.

With extra rooms in their large home along Florence Boulevard, the family helped others who moved to Nebraska get on their feet.

Tayien had a desire to continue helping people. She started nursing school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In her spare time, she served as an interpreter for Habitat Omaha. Eventually, Habitat staff asked Tayien if she would be interested in working for the organization.

“I was unsure if I wanted to switch paths, but then COVID was happening simultaneously,” she said.

Tayien was hired in October 2020.

Making that Connection

Today, the pair work closely together – Dev as a mortgage loan associate and Tayien as the senior program manager.

“It’s the emotional connection that drives us,” Tayien said.

Each Family Services team member works with potential homeowners through the Home Journey program from the application process through closing. Sometimes they serve not only as financial coaches, but also as household coaches. They encourage their clients and let them know they are rooting for them to get to that finish line.

“There’s a sense of attachment to each person because you not only see them, but you see their kids, you see the future they want to have,” Tayien said. “Those are the things that keep us going because they have a vision beyond homeownership. It’s about what they do when they get in that home that’s not possible right now.”

Their dedication has paid off. In June alone, Habitat Omaha closed on 21 homes – a milestone that represents new beginnings and dozens of lives changed.