'It feels amazing': CHA program helps woman become a Chatham homeowner
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Living in public housing for more than a decade, a Chatham woman dreamed about owning her own home.
A CHA program helped Sherrie Gary's dream a reality. CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot has the inspiring story, you'll see Only on 2.
"Come on in. This is our living room. We kind of spend time watching movies and stuff here."
Sherrie Gary gives a tour of her new home in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. How does it feel to be in this home?
"It feels amazing! It just feels really amazing. It feels relaxed and calm. I feel accomplished, overjoyed. I can go on."
That smile on Gary's face was three years in the making. That's when she attended a workshop and filled out all the paperwork to apply for the Chicago Housing Authority's Choose to Own Homeownership Program.
"I learned money management, how to manage your money, weekly, monthly and overall, how to have savings put to the side for incidentals," Gary said, adding she lived in public housing for 14 years.
"Then I was like, I'm ready. I have the credit score. I have all the requirements that they needed and I was ready to push forth and took the next step."
Gary is the 800th person to own a home through Choose to Own.
"I kind of get chills when I think about it."
Jimmy Stewart is the Manager of Homeownership for the program.
"Sherrie worked really really hard toward making this possible," Stewart said.
"I understand that when you help someone to fulfill their dreams, it's so much bigger than a home. It literally changes their future, their children's future," Stewart said.
Gary, who is studying to become a special education teacher at Chicago State University, is the mother of 20 year-old Desire and seven-year-old Journey.
Now, they all call this four bedroom, three bathroom, brick bungalow home.
"I'm looking forward to many many Christmases, many memories, made right here at our table," she said.
Gary said those holiday gatherings are possible because of her late father Melvin Lyles. Lyles and his wife Lillie Bell adopted Gary when she was nine months old. He always told his daughter not to rely on government assistance.
"He would be so proud, grinning from ear-to-ear. He would probably shed a tear, and he wasn't a man that cried," Gary said.
No doubt...tears of joy. In addition to financial education, the program also gives homeowners help with mortgage payments, in some cases hundreds of dollars a month -- for up to 30 years.
A total of 64 families purchased homes through the program last year. Visit the CHA Choose to Own Program link for more information.