(Tribune News Service) — The word “home” may only have four letters, but for Willie and Barbara, it “means everything,” said Willie, an Army veteran who was stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., in the 1980s.

Willie and his wife, Barbara, are about to become new homeowners, thanks in large part to Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, which has a policy of not revealing last names of recipients.

“Willie volunteered to serve our country, and Barbara is from a military family as well,” said Eric Wells, director of construction services. “They deserve this.”

The organization builds six to 10 affordable homes every year, one of which is reserved for a local veteran family, according to Wells.

“Our main goal is to keep construction costs down, which saves money for the homeowner,” Wells said. “We don’t want it to cost more than 30% of their total income.”

Barbara and Willie are a veteran couple who will soon move into their new Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity home in Colorado Springs which should be completed by early November, Habitat officials said.

“First of all, we have to thank God for blessing us with this opportunity,” Barbara said. “Then, we thank Habitat for Humanity, and Eric (Wells). Without them, none of this would be happening.”

Their new home will be located on Bidwell Drive in the Ridge at Sand Creek development.

“This will be the sixth veteran home we’ve built in this development,” Wells said.

On Saturday, Pikes Peak Habitat hosted a fundraiser, Veterans Build Stud Decorating Day, to invite the public to help fund the home build by sponsoring a stud or a block. Donors were able to decorate the materials, which will frame the home, with encouraging and inspirational messages.

Habitat’s Veterans Build program is a national initiative that provides home ownership, employment and volunteer opportunities for veterans, active-duty service members and their families.

Eight years ago, when Willie returned to Colorado Springs to care for his aging father, he met Barbara and the two fell in love. But that love was not without its obstacles.

Over the years, they lived in their car, stayed in motels and Airbnb units, and occasionally couch-surfed before finding an apartment in Colorado Springs. While they were glad to finally have a roof over their heads, the conditions were less than ideal. The building lacks air conditioning, which caused health issues during the summer. Additionally, the complex was in a high-crime area, they said.

“We’ve heard gunshots, and cars have been stolen out of the parking lot,” Barbara said.

As Barbara and Willie decorated studs for their future home on Saturday, they said they can’t wait to move in.

“This means we won’t be paying for an apartment. We’ll be paying for a home that’s going to be ours,” Willie said. “Now, when we say we’re going home, we’ll be able to really mean it.”

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