"Happi" New Homeowners

Melissa Smith is one satisfied HAPPI client. She and her children, Torian and Adrian, will soon celebrate their second anniversary in their home. "I wanted a place for my kids to call home and have a yard to play in. When I achieved the American Dream of homeownership, I was just ecstatic," she said. "I don't think I slept at all the first night in my home; I was just overwhelmed that I had my own place."

The HAPPI program gave Ms. Smith the assistance she needed to achieve homeownership. Like so many first time homebuyers, the obstacle to homeownership for Ms. Smith was the funds needed for the downpayment and closing costs. Without HAPPI, Ms. Smith thinks she would still be renting and trying to save enough funds for a downpayment. The City's Community Development Department funds HAPPI by leveraging private monies with their HOME entitlement allocation. Since its inception in February of 2000, HAPPI has made the American Dream possible for approximately 500 new homeowners in Shreveport. This is something we can all be happy about!