Two families help break ground for homes at Simi's first Habitat for Humanity project
By Carissa Marsh Special to the Acorn

Photos by WENDY PIERRO Acorn Newspapers WHERE THE HEART IS- Two local families, above, join sponsors Saturday at a Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking at the empty lot in Simi Valley where they will help build their future homes. At left, Laura Aguilera and Donovan Silletti, 9, sign a door during the ceremony. Their families and another yet to be chosen will receive the new homes.

Shoveling dirt wouldn't usually be viewed as a momentous occasion- let alone a lifechanging one- but on Sept. 15, at the crossroads of Royal and Sequoia in Simi Valley, two families experienced the joy of breaking ground.

Surrounded by her children, Laura Aguilera burst with excitement and thanksgiving for the homes that would soon grace the dirty corner lot.

"I'm really happy for my kids and for me," said Aguilera, 31, whose family is one of three in Simi Valley who will receive a Habitat for Humanity house. Aguilera has three children: Giselle, 5; Jose Rocha, 11; and Mayra Rocha, 14.

Saturday's event marked the kickoff of the first ever Simi Valley housing project by Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which partners with low-income families to make homeownership a reality.

Gabriella Silletti, 32, and her three children, Milinda Ovieda, 6; Donovan, 9; and Brianna, 12, will also receive a house. Silletti would have been happy to keep shoveling Saturday morning.

"I'm ready to help start building," she said. "To me, working hard toward something as opposed to just getting it is a lot more beneficial. I'm ready to work towards my house that I earned."

A crowd of volunteers, sponsors, city officials, realtors, friends and Habitat members gathered with the families to celebrate a Simi milestone that, for everyone involved, was a long time coming.

"It's amazing what a group of people can do when they come together with a singular purpose in mind," said Martin Kircher, president of the Habitat Ventura County board of directors. "Many hands came together to make this day possible and many hands are going to be needed to continue this process."

The first steps toward creating a Habitat development in Simi were taken in 2000. Local resident Bob Brown, a Realtor, spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony about his vision to bring affordable housing to the city.

"When somebody moves into a house, generations to come are changed," Brown said. "The American dream is home ownership."

That dream can be difficult to obtain, particularly in Ventura County where less than 30 percent of residents can afford an average-priced home, according to a recent survey.

"As a single parent of three, and with the economy today, my rent is pretty much my whole paycheck," Silletti said. "You make decent money and it doesn't go to anything but the rent. There's nothing left over to do anything- movies for the kids, shopping, food. It's hard."

The Aguilera and Silletti families had to meet certain requirements in order to be considered for a Habitat home. They had to be living in substandard housing and had to be willing to put 500 hours of "sweat equity" into building their home. They had to be able to make mortgage payments on their new home. Although the third family has not yet been chosen, final selections are based on greatest need.

Since 1983, Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County has built 43 homes throughout the county. The Simi Valley site encountered resistance from some residents and City Council members who were concerned about the quality of the housing that would be built.

"As always there was some opposition, but we overcame it through education," said Karen Jensen, resource development director for Habitat Ventura County.

Although Habitat builds simple homes, the three houses will be worth more than neighboring homes because of their square footage and the fact that they will be brand new, Brown said.

Habitat had a strong ally in Councilmember Glen Becerra, who said he was actually threatened by people "for doing the right thing."

"These are everyday folks that just need a chance," Becerra said of the Habitat families.

Once the project got council approval, Habitat was able to buy the 1.5acre property with redevelopment funds from the city, Jensen said. Construction is slated to begin by late October and the three homes should be completed in about 18 months. While Brown's six-year dream has come to fruition, the taste of success has left him wanting more.

"I think that's the next thing we should think about: build these houses, build another house," he said.

For now, the Aguilera and Silletti families will be looking toward building their houses and realizing the American dream- one shovel and nail at a time.

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, or to volunteer, visit habitatventura.org.