‘I never dreamt of being a homeowner’: Kemptville mom shares her story on National Housing Day

Amang Zathang knows what it is like to fight for herself. Born in Myanmar and raised in India, her family faced political, cultural and religious strife before finally seeking refuge in Canada in 2008. But amidst the financial crisis, finding suitable housing was near impossible.

Even when Zathang had her own family, the living situation was less than ideal. With her husband and two children, the four squeezed into a single bedroom apartment in the west end of Kemptville, Ont.

“My husband is a full-time employee and he’s the only breadwinner. I decided to stay home with my two boys because daycare is so expensive, we don’t have that kind of budget,” she told CityNews. “I’m not in a position to work. I’m a full-time student and a stay-at-home mom.”

With their income, Zathang said there was no way the family could save for a conventional downpayment on a house.

That is the reality for many Canadians as the nation faces a growing affordability and housing crisis.

The third annual Affordable Housing Survey released by Habitat for Humanity Canada found that 84 per cent of Canadians say that buying a home feels like a luxury and nearly 90 per cent of renters say the goal of homeownership is one that has become out of reach.

As a greater portion of Canadians incomes are put towards housing, there is increasing worry that other basic needs will be sacrificed. Fifty-nine per cent of survey respondents said they worry they will not have enough money for food, living essentials, clothing and education, with the majority of income being directed to rent or mortgage payments.

Two-thirds of Gen Z and almost half of Millennials reported having considered delating starting a family because they cannot afford a suitable home. Nearly one-third said they would consider relocating to another country if that meant finding affordable housing.

“Canadians are sending a clear message: the housing crisis is no longer just about housing,” Pedro Barata, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada, said in a press release. “This is particularly evident for young Canadians, who are rethinking or delaying major life decisions to achieve homeownership, signaling a deep and lasting impact on future generations and society as a whole.” 

Nov. 22 is National Housing Day and Habitat for Humanity – Canada’s only national affordable homeownership organization – is celebrating the families it has been able to help to house.

One of those families the Zathangs.

Zathang and her husband found out about Habitat for Humanity through her mom’s work and the couple applied in 2022 after living in their one-bedroom apartment for over six years.

A lot of documents were required but Zathang said she just gave them everything they asked for and over all she said about the process: “It was very easy, very simple”.

After two years, the family finally settled in their new home in August.

When asked what her main priority for her new home was, Zathang said she just wanted a safe place for her sons to grow up. She said the building the family previously lived in was a site for drug and alcohol abuse, summing it up as an “unhealthy environment” for her children.

“People were leaving their syringes in the elevator and my four-year-old son is asking me ‘mom, what is this? Are we in a hospital?’,” she said. “And that’s when I realized this is not the thing a four-year-old should be seeing or asking questions about”

Now that the family is in a safe neighbourhood, she said her sons enjoy playing outside, running, and hiking.

Second to safety, the new home is a source of pride for the family, even the young boys. After living in a one-bedroom apartment with their parents, the boys now have their own bedroom.

“They’re very proud of it. Whenever people come to visit us the number one thing they say is ‘can I show you my bedroom?’,” Zathang said. “When I see that it makes me cry. It makes my heart warm that they have something to call their own.”

Now settled, Zathang wants to help others facing similar situations. She said her key message is to never give up hope.

“I never dreamt of being a homeowner. I thought I’d be a renter my whole life, especially in this economy,” she said. “Whoever wants to hear my story I will keep on sharing my story, so people can end up where I am today.”