Quincy woman makes final payment on Habitat for Humanity home; applications for 2025 now accepted

January 9, 2025 | By Muddy River News

Pictured from left, standing, are Jackie Hickman-Osborn, Shakeinya Bradshaw, Mike Osborn and Dawn Hickman. Sitting from left are Rashad Common, Sharma Hickman (holding Jream Bassett) and Raheem Common. | Submitted photo

QUINCY — When Jacki Hickman-Osborne was a young, single mom, she never dreamed she would someday afford to buy her own house so she could stop moving her family from place to place.

Things changed in 2001.

Because of her hard work, the Habitat for Humanity Christian Ministry homeowner program and the coaching of Mona and Eddie Fletcher, Hickman-Osborne qualified to build and buy a basic Habitat for Humanity house. She recently made her final interest-free mortgage payment-payment — No. 240.

The first time she applied, she didn’t qualify. Her income from Denman Linen Service was sufficient, and her poor credit kept her from qualifying for a mortgage. She set a goal to pay off her debts.

The Fletchers, her friends, stepped in. They coached and encouraged her while she paid off outstanding bills and developed a clean credit history. It was difficult, but she stuck to her goal of becoming financially responsible. She reapplied a year later to build a basic Habitat for Humanity house and qualified this time to build her own house and pay for it with an interest-free 20-year mortgage.

She began spending every Saturday building her own house alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers and completing her “sweat equity.” Building the house was not easy, but neither was moving from apartment to apartment, she said. She and her family have enjoyed the security of having the same neighbors, the same schools and school buses for 20 years. Hickman-Osborne’s children have grown up knowing housing stability.

Now the children are grown, and Hickman-Osborne has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Her home is where the large family spends special times together, celebrating birthdays and holidays, having cookouts with the kids, riding bikes in the alley and playing games in the field.

To apply to receive an application to renovate the next Habitat for Humanity house in 2025, send a message to Habitat for Humanity Quincy on Facebook. Applicants must include a phone number and an email.