A New Chapter in Housing

For families across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, the dream of homeownership can feel like a distant, impossible goal. Rising costs, scarce land, and unexpected repairs often force hopeful buyers into an endless cycle of renting.

Pensacola Habitat for Humanity works to change that, one family at a time.

“We create new homeownership opportunities, but we’re also saving houses that might foreclose or force a family to move out and back into the rental cycle,” says Quinn Luehring-Buerkett, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity director of marketing and communications.

For more than four decades, they’ve built stability, dignity, and hope across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Every home they create, every roof they repair, every wheelchair ramp they build is part of a much larger vision.

“We’re creating new homeownership opportunities, but we’re also saving houses that might otherwise fall into foreclosure,” Luehring-Buerkett says. “It’s about more than shelter—it’s about keeping families connected to the communities they love.”

In a housing market where affordable options are increasingly rare, Pensacola Habitat’s latest partnership with Escambia County feels like a miracle. Through their collaboration, 14 brand-new homes—nestled in carefully chosen neighborhoods—are opening the door to families who have long dreamed of stability but struggled to find a foothold.

As land becomes scarcer and the demand for affordable housing grows, these homes, already appraising for more than their sale price, represent a way forward. For many applicants, the chance to own a three- or four-bedroom home isn’t just about property. It’s about finally being able to say, “This is ours.”

For most first-time buyers, the path to homeownership can feel like an endless maze of paperwork, credit checks, and closed doors. But this Pensacola Habitat initiative has simplified the journey. Different from the traditional Habitat program, where families often spend six to eight months working through sweat equity hours and construction milestones, these 14 homes are already built, ready, and waiting.

Courtesy of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity

“This should probably only take 60 to 90 days to complete,” Luehring-Buerkett says. “We want families to move in quickly, so they can start building their lives, not just their houses.”

Families take an eight-hour homebuyer education course and work with a lender approved by the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program to secure their financing. It’s a system designed not just for speed but for long-term success, ensuring that beyond buying a home, each family is stepping confidently into a new chapter of their lives.

In addition to creating homes, Pensacola Habitat’s community development programs are designed to help homeowners preserve what they already have. For many seniors and disabled residents, the idea of moving out of their home isn’t just about inconvenience; it’s about losing the space they’ve spent years, sometimes decades, nurturing and caring for.

“A lot of people think you have to purchase a home from us to get help, but that’s not the case,” Luehring-Buerkett says. “We serve any homeowner in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.”

From wheelchair ramps to roof repairs, and from aging-in-place modifications to emergency disaster recovery, Pensacola Habitat is committed to making homes safe, accessible, and livable for people of all ages and abilities.

There’s a special kind of joy that comes from seeing a homeowner take that final step: the moment when they make their last mortgage payment and officially become debt-free. For Pensacola Habitat, these moments are some of the most rewarding—not just because they signify a completed process, but because they reflect years of hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. For many, it’s an emotional milestone, one that not only marks the end of their mortgage but also the beginning of something new—a future without the looming worry of paying rent or facing eviction.

“Sometimes homeowners come in who bought a home from us in the 1980s or ’90s, and they’re handing in their final mortgage payment,” Luehring-Buerkett says. “That’s a huge achievement, and we celebrate it.”

At its core, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity builds more than houses; it creates a foundation that transforms lives, breaking the cycle of poverty, creating stability, and providing opportunities for future generations.

One home, one family, and one community at a time.