Petr Basel — one of our Mission Partner Families — has a diverse professional background. Since immigrating from the Czech Republic in 2009, he has worked in hospitality, ran his own videography business, driven bus around Vancouver, and now has a full-time job with the city of Mission. But more recently, he’s created a side-business in the field of home care and maintenance as a way to build up his savings.

It all started when he was living in Whistler many years ago and cleaning windows. He enjoyed the work and found it to be profitable at that time, so he decided to try his hand at it once again in his new Mission community. Within months, the business (Mission Window Washing) took off and Petr found he was having to take bookings weeks in advance. This quickly led to expanding his services to gutter cleaning, as well.

“I added gutter cleaning because it kind of goes hand in hand with windows,” explains Petr. “In the Spring, I plan to add pressure washing for homes, roofs, and driveways.”

“With this new business, there’s so many homes and buildings to clean, and the advantage is I can be home for dinner and not on the road.”

— Petr Basel

Transitioning Career

While Petr loved his 6+ years of work as a self-employed videographer and photographer, he found it challenging to pursue new contracts in a highly competitive market. There were days where work was plentiful, then times where he’d have no work for months. On top of that, many of his contracts required him to spend a lot of time traveling and away from his family at home.

“With this new business, there’s so many homes and buildings to clean, and the advantage is I can be home for dinner and not on the road,” says Petr.

The Challenge of Home Ownership and An Unexpected Opportunity

Petr says that he loved his time living in Whistler and Vancouver, but found that the soaring real estate prices made it feel impossible to try raising children.

“We liked it in Vancouver, but rent was going up every year,” explains Petr. “We started at $1300 for a tiny old one bedroom. Within five years, it had gone to $1750. For us, this was quite a lot.”

Discouraged and faced with the prospect of an unattainable housing market in Vancouver, Petr considered moving as far away as Smithers to pursue home ownership. But everything changed when he learned about Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver and was able to secure a house for his family in Mission.

“I had no idea Habitat was here, at first,” explains Petr. “When we learned about it, we applied. It took some time, but we got very lucky and received housing in Mission. It’s unreal. We have some really good neighbors. We have a playground right in front of our door, and a safe place for our kid. Coming from our one-bedroom tiny apartment to a three-bedroom townhouse with a garage – that’s something we couldn’t imagine.”

“I’m very thankful for everything, and try to volunteer my time.”

— Petr Basel

Changed Lives Change Lives

Grateful for the opportunity, Petr now actively volunteers his time with Habitat whenever he can, and cleans gutters for some of the other Habitat homes in Richmond and Mission at a discounted rate. Every chance he gets, he spreads word about the work that Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver is doing in the Lower Mainland.

“We need more of this for everybody. Housing is a huge issue now,” says Petr.

As Petr continues to see success and growth in his business, he remains dedicated to spreading awareness about affordable housing solutions and contributing to the well-being of his community. His story serves as an inspiring example of how housing stability can make such a difference in an individual's journey and how that can make an even bigger positive impact on the lives of others.

In 2018, Rowena had spent several months looking for a new home for her and her son, Justin. At the time, they were living in a one-bedroom condo in Vancouver so they could be closer to Rowena’s work, but the situation had become increasingly difficult for them when they discovered that the unit was infested with rodents.

“I was glad in the morning when it was time for us to go to school and work, and I would dread coming home,” says Rowena.

Safety was a serious concern, as they could hear the sounds of mice scratching and crawling around the condo at night while they tried to sleep. Her son was eight years old at the time and was terrified. The two of them would end up sleeping together most nights.

But as much as she wanted to find a new place to rent, they were unable to relocate as prices were far out of range for her on a single-household income.

Unexpected Encounter With Hope

It was April 2018 when Rowena and her coworkers decided to volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity build project in Richmond.

“When I first came here, it was just the foundation. We were putting up pieces of wood to build the frame of these houses,” says Rowena, who had no idea that she was standing on the spot that would one day be her home.

After that first day of volunteering, Rowena found herself inspired by the work that Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver has been doing in the Lower Mainland. She wasn’t sure if she would qualify as a candidate for a home, but she figured she would apply.

It took some time to process everything, but after a year, Rowena and her coworkers were invited back for another build day. She was impressed by how much had been built in the time since she was last there. As she worked with her colleagues on the site, she was greeted by a staff member from Habitat who announced to everyone that Rowena would be one of the lucky five families who had been selected to receive a home at this location.

“It was so fantastic,” says Rowena. “I remember the emotions on that day. Everyone was cheering! I was so surprised. It was so emotional and it really touched me inside, knowing what the next step was going to be for me and my son. It was the best feeling. I’ll never forget it.”

On July 1st, 2019, Rowena and Justin moved into a beautiful two-bedroom suite in one of the houses that she herself helped build!

It Takes a Village

In many ways, this was a dream come true. No longer would Rowena have to worry about rodents, feeling unsafe in her own home, or wondering what the future would be for her son. They each had their own room, there was a backyard, other kids in a community who Justin could play with, a park nearby, his school within walking distance, and a community of other families right next door. Rowena knew this was going to be the best place for Justin to grow into a young man.

“In my experience with this community, the whole ‘it takes a village’ really does mean something,” says Rowena as she reflects on the community around them. “We watch each other’s kids. If we’re away, there’s always someone watching our place. We also learn a lot from each other. I wasn’t much of a gardener before but some of my friends in this community are and I’ve learned a lot from them.”

Another aspect of the community that has been so meaningful for Rowena was the support she received during the COVID-19 pandemic. As everyone was isolated in their homes, she was so grateful to have a safe and comfortable place to be with Justin.

“During the pandemic, I could not imagine what it would have been like in our little one-bedroom apartment, with mice in the walls, not being able to go out. Here, we could go outside, with the backyard.”

Affordable Homes Change Lives

As she reflects on the journey that led her to this place, Rowena says she is overcome with gratitude and joy. The experience was life-changing for them both and has given Rowena hope in a time when she was feeling trapped.

“Without the donors out there… families like myself and my friends in this community would not have a safe affordable place to live,” says Rowena. “I am so thankful.”

On the afternoon of Saturday, September 17, Habitat Mission families came together for a community potluck BBQ. What a day it turned out to be – warm sunshine, delicious food, fun games and constant conversation between our families, their children and Habitat staff.

In July 2021, 7 families moved into Phase 1 of our Mission homes and in July 2022, an additional 12 families moved in once Phase 2 was completed. With summer, school starts and back to work busyness, many families had yet to connect.

Our new partner family Denice took the lead in organizing the event, with the assistance of Amber who organized ‘get to know you’ games for everyone to enjoy.  All the families brought drinks, food, and treats to share… including many special traditional foods from around the world.

Families enjoyed an afternoon together at their first BBQ… it certainly won’t be their last! Recipes were exchanged, school ride sharing plans made, and babysitting arrangements set-up. What a wonderful community our families are creating in their new home, new neighbourhood and new community.

 In addition, we are grateful to DoorDash for their generous partnership that enabled us to supply the families with some must-have BBQ items.