Alisia Gonzales-Hankins lives with her daughter and three sons in a
three-bedroom house. Alejandra is 18, Dominique is 15, and her twins DeMario and DeMarco are 5. They have rented their three-bedroom home in Northeast Portland for 11 years. During that time, the neighborhood has become much more affluent, and rents have doubled. Alisia has managed to keep her rent low by not complaining about things that are wrong with the home. They recently found that the home had lead-based paint to which the twins were exposed. The house is small and cramped for their large family, and the bathroom has mold on the ceiling. Because the soil tested positive for lead, they have postponed their plans to start a vegetable garden. Alisia decided to explore housing options and applied to Habitat for Humanity. The Gonzales-Hankins family has already completed their first 150 sweat equity hours and will be among the first 6 families to build their homes at Rivergate Commons in North Portland. Building began on August 28, and The Campbell Group, LLC has stepped up to sponsor the Gonzales-Hankins family home.
