LAYTON—In a tight housing market, one Layton woman is grateful to be handed the keys to her newly constructed home. It was made possible by Have a Heart Homes, an initiative to help with the critical affordable housing shortage in northern Utah, especially for people with special needs.

The Have a Heart Foundation is sponsored by the Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors (NWAOR) and the Northern Wasatch Homebuilders Association (MWHBA). Layton City donated the remnant lot that the home is built on.

“Everyone who has worked on this home has discounted their time and fees in order to assist the family to achieve their dream of home ownership,” said Stephanie Taylor, President of NWAOR.”

Stuart Smith of Mainline Construction in Layton built the home customized to accommodate the family’s needs. Mainline has constructed 10 previous Have a Heart Homes. “I just like doing this,” Smith said. “Working with subs who discount their fees and getting discounts on materials is just terrific. It makes us all feel really good.”

Amy (actual name withheld) started the application process two years ago. “I qualified  because I have a child with a disability, he has autism,” she said. “They usually build a home every year but it slowed down because of COVID.”

As part of the application, Amy had to talk about her own background and her child’s background. “Then we waited and waited,” she said. “They have a committee that reviews the applications and they vote on the one they feel could purchase the house. In about two to three weeks they told us we could purchase the house. I was so excited I choked up on the phone.”

As a long-term renter owning her own home seemed impossible, said Amy. “I’m a single mom. I put myself through bachelor’s and master’s degrees. This is life changing for us.”

It had to go through the usual process, said Amy. “The home had to be appraised and I had to make a down payment. It was only 3% but it was still a lot. They pay the closing costs and drop the purchase price.”

This all came about in the perfect way, she said. “The home is beautiful. You can see the care and love that went into the home. You can feel it and see it.”

All the hard work is paying off, said Amy. “My son has worked hard too. He’s come a long way with his abilities. He’s a rock star.”

Amy said she didn’t tell him about the house until a couple of weeks before. “I had to tell him when I started putting things in boxes. We took a car ride and I turned down the road and he said ‘this isn't the way.’ Then he guessed when we drove up. I said ‘I’m buying this house.’ He started crying. It’s unnerving packing things up and realizing this is our home.”

The safety and security this will provide is amazing, she said.”The location is perfect. It’s close to family and work and our dog will have a yard to play in.This means the world to us.”

Amy said she is grateful to all those who made this possible. “I want to thank Have a Heart and Stuart Smith. He has a heart of gold. I’m thankful to everybody who had a part in making this dream come true.”