Jan Caffey never expected to own a home, let alone one with three bedrooms, a garden, and a front door where her children could hang a Christmas wreath. For years, the single mother of three juggled multiple jobs at a time just to afford a one-bedroom apartment for her family.
“Owning a home has been our American dream,” Caffey said. “I remember when my kids would act up, I’d say, ‘Not in my house.’ And they’d respond, ‘But Mama, this isn’t a house — it’s an apartment.’ ”
On July 12, that changed. Caffey stood with her son, Lawrence, on Holmes Avenue in South Los Angeles, clutching the keys to her family’s new home — one of eight newly completed residences built by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and blessed that morning by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Matthew Elshoff.
The ceremony drew dozens of neighbors, volunteers and Habitat staffers, many of whom helped construct the homes over several months. Among them were members of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Office of Life, Justice and Peace, who spent two full workdays on site earlier this year, framing and painting side by side with future homeowners.
“They brought joy and energy to every corner of the build,” said Erin Rank, Habitat LA’s president and CEO. “It meant so much to the families to see people from the Church physically helping create their new homes.”
The atmosphere was festive: folding chairs lined the sidewalks and volunteers handed out bottled water as upbeat music played from a speaker cart. The new homes, painted in warm pastels, still smelled faintly of sawdust and fresh stucco. Some families posed for photos on their front steps, while others walked through the houses in awe, pointing out details — a sunlit kitchen, a spacious hallway — that once felt out of reach.
For Jeannette Aguilar and her two children, the home represented a reunion.
“We were displaced from our last place,” Aguilar said. “We couldn’t all go to the same house, so we’ve been living separately. Getting this house means being together again. It means having a safe place to live.”
Caffey agreed. “It means financial stability. It means generational wealth,” she said. “Habitat didn’t just build me a house. They gave me confidence, strength, and tools I can pass down to my children.”
Families like Caffey’s and Aguilar’s were selected through Habitat LA’s affordable housing program, which pairs working families with volunteer crews to build long-term equity in underserved communities. In addition to construction, selected families participate in workshops on home maintenance, budgeting, and personal finance.
“This speaks to the mission of the Church,” Bishop Elshoff said before blessing the homes with holy water. “To love, to bring people together, to help people feel appreciated and at peace — and in turn, to inspire them to help others because of the gift they’ve received.”
Rank said Habitat LA has seen an increased demand for affordable housing in the wake of a statewide housing crisis and multiple natural disasters.
“When I started, we were building one home a year,” Rank said. “This year, we’re building more than ever — and serving 100 families annually through repairs as well.”
That mission has expanded since the devastating wildfires that swept through Southern California in January. Through its Rebuild LA initiative, Habitat is assisting more than 4,000 families impacted by the fires, supported by a growing volunteer base of over 6,000 people. The group recently pulled its first post-fire building permit in Altadena and continues to prioritize recovery efforts in hard-hit areas.
“Families didn’t just lose their houses,” Rank said. “They lost their stability, their memories, their sense of safety. We know how to build — and now we’re building to heal.”
Still, the work comes with challenges. Rank noted that recent cuts to California’s state budget eliminated $5 million in annual funding through CalHOME grants — a loss that will impact Habitat’s ability to scale its operations.
“That was a big hit,” she said. “But we’re still moving forward, thanks to over 200 donors, thousands of volunteers, and the support of the County of Los Angeles, which donated the land for this project.”
Back on Holmes Avenue, as the ceremony wrapped up and families trickled back toward their new front doors, Caffey paused to hug a Habitat volunteer. Nearby, children chalked their names on the sidewalk while neighbors exchanged phone numbers and housewarming advice.
For the Catholic Church, the moment was more than charitable — it was spiritual.
Bishop Elshoff, a Franciscan, emphasized the importance of action rooted in Catholic social teaching.
“It’s not enough to pray for the vulnerable,” he said. “We have to stand with them — hammer in hand.”
