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On June 26, we welcomed two families into their new Granite Valley homes! Congratulations to Abdo, Badria, Fantahun, Tikikil and their families for all the time and energy they poured into our Homeownership program. Whether they were out working on jobsites or taking homebuyer education classes, they showed up with smiles and determination to build stability for their families. All that hard work paid off, and we’re so excited they can now make these houses their homes.
Meet Abdo & Badria
Abdo and Badria have called Sioux Falls home for over a decade and enjoy the safety and opportunities of the city. They have four children and are both employed at one of the local hospitals.
In the past, they struggled finding an affordable place to live with enough bedrooms for their family and had to move frequently in search of better housing. They are excited for the stability and comfort that Habitat homeownership will bring and enjoyed building their home alongside the Habitat team and volunteers.
About Their Home
Abdo and Badria’s home was built in partnership with CTE Academy on the school’s campus and is the school’s 14th Habitat home. After the carpentry students finished their portion of the home, it was moved onto a Habitat foundation in May 2025 and completed by Habitat’s construction team and volunteers.
Meet Fantahun & Tikikil
After growing up in Ethiopia, Fantahun and Tikikil decided in 2009 to make Sioux Falls their home because our quiet, peaceful city is a good place to raise children. Though they both have steady jobs, it was unaffordable for them to buy a house on their own.
When they were accepted into our Homeownership program in April 2025, they were excited for the opportunity to build a home that meets their family’s needs! Their new home now has space outside for their three children to play and for Tikikil to plant a vegetable garden.
About Their Home
Fantahun and Tikikil’s home was built by Harrisburg High School’s construction students in their Home Builders Academy. This is the school’s second Habitat home and the first to be completed as part of a five-year partnership between Habitat and the Harrisburg School District. The home was moved onto its Habitat foundation in August 2025 where it was completed by Habitat’s construction team and volunteers.
In the News
KELOLAND News: 2 student-built homes for families in need
Dakota News Now: Students help Habitat for Humanity build two new homes for Sioux Falls families
Thank You
Thank you to the students and instructors at CTE Academy and Harrisburg High School for their hard work building these homes during the 2024-25 school year.
These homes were made possible by the generosity of Vern Eide, the Sheldon F Reese Foundation, the MidAmerican Energy Foundation, Xcel Energy and American Family Insurance. We would also like to thank our many other corporate and private donors for their support.
Thank you to Project Warm-Up for their donation of blankets, First Lutheran Church for their donation of quilts and Ben Reifel Middle School for making welcome home kits and signs for our new homebuyers.
Thank you to the 716 volunteers who devoted 2,396 hours building these homes alongside these families.
