{"id":232791,"date":"2026-07-01T13:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T13:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/232791\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T13:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T13:28:13","slug":"habitat-dedicates-2-new-homes-on-miltimore-street-in-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/232791\/","title":{"rendered":"Habitat dedicates 2 new homes on Miltimore Street in Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, Jackie Kull watched her rent climb while the dream of owning a home slipped farther out of reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh rent in the city makes it hard for people to even save up to purchase a home,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But Habitat for Humanity of Berks County made her dream a reality, she said Monday afternoon during a dedication ceremony for two recently built homes in the 400 block of Miltimore Street.<\/p>\n

Kull\u2019s home and that of her next-door-neighbor Obal, whose surname was withheld for privacy, are the seventh and eighth completed since August 2023.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew homeowner Jackie Kull thanks those who helped her acquire her home during a Habitat for Humanity house dedication in the 400 block of Miltimore Street on Monday, June 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n

Habitat Berks Executive Director Timothy J. Daley said the project is part of the nonprofit\u2019s ongoing effort to transform the once-blighted stretch into a growing neighborhood of owner-occupied homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember starting way up there, and here we are at this end of the block,\u201d Daley told those gathered outside the homes. \u201cVisually the difference and the magnitude of which Habitat has an effect on this community can be seen, and there\u2019s more of that to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"HabitatHabitat for Humanity Executive Director Tim Daley, left, and Obal check the view from Obal’s new home during the organization’s house dedication in the 400 block of Miltimore Street on Monday, June 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n

Daley and Eneida Powell, Habitat Berks\u2019 director of family services, emphasized that Habitat homeowners do not get a handout. They earn the opportunity through months of financial education, volunteer service and sweat equity. And like most other homeowners, they have a mortgage to pay.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey worked for this,\u201d Powell said. \u201cNothing was given to them, but now they have a beautiful home that they can call their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Habitat Berks homeowner says stability changed her family\u2019s future<\/a><\/p>\n

Representing Mayor Eddie Moran, Chief of Staff English Bradley said the houses symbolize much more than new construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not simply houses you\u2019re receiving; they\u2019re homes that already carry your fingerprints, your dreams within the walls,\u201d Bradley said. \u201cHome ownership creates opportunities and offers stability and security. It creates the foundation for families to grow, children to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reading City Council President Donna Reed likened the ceremony to themes from the classic film \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life,\u201d saying homeownership allows families to build their own futures. She presented each family with traditional housewarming gifts seen in the movie: bread, wine and salt, representing a wish for abundance, joy and a flavorful life.<\/p>\n

\"ReadingReading City Council President Donna Reed and Councilman Chris Miller present new homeowner Obal with gifts during a Habitat for Humanity house dedication in the 400 block of Miltimore Street on Monday, June 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n

Habitat board member and Dr. Khalid Mumin, Reading School District superintendent, welcomed the families to the city and school district.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are symbolic of what we want our students to be able to have access to, to be able to achieve, to be able to dream,\u201d Mumin said. \u201cTo be able to be homeowners is just so exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following a blessing and ceremonial presentation of the keys, the families received gift cards from Habitat supporters.<\/p>\n

Kull, who moved into her home about six months ago, said Habitat\u2019s program made possible what had seemed out of reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not be more blessed,\u201d she said. \u201cI just want to say thank you to Habitat for Humanity for making this dream come true of me being a homeowner, because it is very hard nowadays to accomplish that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For years, Jackie Kull watched her rent climb while the dream of owning a home slipped farther out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":232792,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,857,4736,182,139,28,736,128,130,129,706],"class_list":["post-232791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-essential-reading","tag-housing","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-top-stories-reg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}