Dawn, a Veridian member, never imagined she would stay in Iowa and own a home here. She even had plans to return to her home state of California. 

But when she got custody of her three grandchildren, one of whom has a disability, all her plans changed. Today, she lives in Iowa with her family, in a home she purchased with a mortgage from Veridian.  

When she first got custody of her grandchildren, she needed a wheelchair accessible ramp for her four-year-old. But installing a ramp on her rental home was not a feasible option. 

“My landlord at the time said anything we put on would have to be removed when we left,” Dawn said. “So, it made more sense to buy a house.”

She started her home search with Habitat for Humanity, and she was put on a waitlist. To help her move along even faster, they referred her to LeKeisha in the Community Inclusion Department at Veridian. 

With LeKeisha’s help, Dawn was able to apply for a mortgage and move into her new home within six months. With a ramp now installed on the front door, there is no more reason to worry about getting her grandson in and out of the house. 

LeKeisha helped Dawn work through the paperwork quickly and made sure everything was in order on her credit so she could be approved. 

“LeKeisha was my backbone,” Dawn recalled. “I did the legwork, but she helped me through every step of the application. I didn’t have any negative marks on my credit, but I did have some student loans. She helped make sure those weren’t going to be a problem on my application.” 

To help her work towards home ownership, Dawn applied for an Individual Development Account and received matching funds from Veridian on what she saved up. She was able to put the matching funds toward her down payment, which freed up money to make their house feel like home. 

After they moved in, they fixed up the shower in the basement and a water leak in the laundry. They even bought a trampoline for the backyard. 

Their home has very quickly become a place where they can live and grow, safely and comfortably as a family.