After a lifetime of searching for a safe place that feels like home, Savanna Thompson received the keys to her own home Friday during a dedication ceremony with Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough and home sponsor Gensler.
Thompson works for the nonprofit ECHO of Brandon and has bounced around to more than 10 homes throughout her life. She described her childhood home as a place of fear and anxiety and said she has spent much of her life searching for security and comfort. Thompson has been living in a one-bedroom apartment that limits her ability to care for others and has been dealing with a bug infestation.
Now, with the help of Habitat and Gensler, Thompson is a homeowner at Windhorst Commons in Brandon. She hopes her new home will eventually allow her to become a licensed foster parent and provide children with the safety and stability she has long wished to give them
“I’m so grateful for your hard work, time, and support to help me become a homeowner,” said Thompson. “One of my deepest longings in life has been to provide a home to others. I want to open my home to children who need a safe place to land. You are helping make my dreams come true.”
The home is the third of eight homes being built through Habitat of Tampa Bay Hillsborough’s Pope Leo Village initiative, inspired by Pope Leo’s commitment to serving others and encouraging people of all faiths to support affordable homeownership through volunteering and giving.
“Pope Leo Village is about the power of giving through time and resources and ultimately giving families the opportunity to build a better future,” said Tina Forcier, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough. “For Savanna, this home gives her the chance to extend the same generosity she has received to children in our community who need a family and a foundation of their own. We’re grateful to Gensler for investing in Savanna’s next chapter and in the children she will one day welcome into it.”
This is the second Habitat home Gensler has sponsored, giving the firm another opportunity to put its belief in the power of design to work in the community.
“At Gensler, we think a lot about how the places we design affect people’s everyday lives, and this is a really meaningful example of that,” said Sarah Joubert, principal and managing director at Gensler. “We’re proud to partner with Habitat and be part of creating a place where Savanna can feel a sense of belonging and have the space to pursue the future she envisions.”
As a Habitat homeowner, Thompson contributed hundreds of hours of sweat equity, helping build her home and investing in her future. Windhorst Commons is Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough’s 23-home neighborhood in Brandon, featuring hurricane-resilient construction. The remaining homes are expected to be completed by early 2027.
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