Jennifer Aberle Saves Her Way to Homeownership
Jennifer Aberle (Cheyenne River Sioux) of Timber Lake, South Dakota says participating in Four Bands’ Individual Development Account (IDA) Program was an “amazing, incredible experience.” That’s because she has become a homeowner as a result of it, and now has a permanent place that she, her fiancé, and her daughter can always call home. But it wasn’t always that way…
With a new baby, a stable home was more important than ever for Jennifer and her fiance, William. Living in one of the only 16 apartments in Timber Lake, housing options were severely limited. If they had to move out of their apartment for some reason, Jennifer knew they could easily fall into a situation where they wouldn’t have a place to live. Buying a home seemed like the best solution, but coming up with a down payment is always a challenge. That’s where Four Bands’ IDA Program (also known as a matched savings program) came into play.
Over the course of the program, Jennifer prepared for successful homeownership by making monthly deposits in her savings account. She says of her experience, “It definitely taught me how to save. It made me take the time to put money away.” She and William also completed a homeownership course.
“It definitely taught me how to save. It made me take the time to put money away.”
After seven months of consistently saving, Jennifer used her $1,000 and $4,000 in matching funds from Four Bands as a down payment on a manufactured home. “It was just amazing to be able to purchase a house,” comments Jennifer. She says that one of the best parts of owning a home is having enough room for her daughter and a yard to play outside.
“It really impacted our life in a positive way,” says Jennifer. She and William are continuing to apply what they learned by putting money into their savings account each month. They are currently saving for their wedding.