The Family

Ignacio and Rosario Moldanado are the parents of a close, hardworking family living in South Arlington. They have two children: Alvaro, a 25-year-old, and Veronica, a 16-year-old. They are originally from Lima, Peru, and they moved to Arlington in stages. Ignacio came to the area in 2000, but Rosario had to wait until 2007 when Ignacio finally got his residency. They were happy to finally reunite their family. They decided to leave their extended family in Peru to provide more opportunities to their daughter Veronica, who has learning disabilities that were not being catered to in Peru. Rosario and Ignacio hope that they can build a life in the United States that will provide Veronica with opportunities to be independent and successful.

In Peru, Ignacio taught mathematics at a high school, and Rosario taught Spanish. They hope to be able to teach here one day, but the language barrier and certifications are quite a challenge. Until that time, Ignacio is working as a mechanic. Their son, Alvaro, has followed in his father’s footsteps as a mechanic while he continues his degree in business from Northern Virginia Community College.

When they began looking for a home, they realized that all the homes were much too expensive in this area. When they heard about Habitat for Humanity, they were really thrilled that Habitat would help them build a home of their own. Their hard work and perseverance has paid off!

The Moldanados (front) at a TD Charitable Foundation check presentation at Perry Hall.

The Habitat Approach to Homeownership

• To qualify for a Habitat home, families must live in substandard housing prior to becoming homeowners and earn between 25% and 80% of the area median income ($98,000 in Arlington County).
• We believe in a hand up, not a handout. As such, each Habitat family contributes 300 to 500 hours of “sweat equity” in the building of their home and other Habitat homes.
• Habitat homeowners pay a 20- to 30-year, zero interest mortgage and make a 1% down payment on their homes.
• Homeowner mortgage payments are reinvested into future Habitat homes, and Habitat for Humanity does not make a profit on any homes sold.

Perry Hall

Perry Hall is a 12-unit condominium community located near the corner of South Glebe Road and South 17th Street in Arlington. It is a renovation project that will provide 12 low- to moderate-income families in Northern Virginia with a home of their own.