Three families have been given the gift of a new home just in time for Christmas.

The ribbon was cut on three new Habitat for Humanity homes on Eric Street in St. John’s this morning.

The homes were made possible through funding supplied by the federal and provincial governments and land supplied by the city of St. John’s. A number of organizations also contributed to the cause.

Many of the families who benefit from safe, affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity are unable to qualify for a traditional mortgage.

That includes Igor Volobuiev, his wife and infant child, who came here from Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, my family was not qualified for a regular mortgage and this program was absolutely perfect for us. So we kept our fingers crossed all the time and finally we’ve been selected. It was an incredible moment when we received a call from Habitat for Humanity,” he said.

Habitat for Humanity’s executive director Sandra Whiffen says the organization is seeing the housing crisis first hand, with an increase in demand for affordable housing across the province.

She says they’ve been trying to help as many people as they can, but they’re finding it hard to keep up with demand.

Whiffin says the Eric Street homes will help the families get on track.

“People really are struggling,” says Whiffen, “and this makes it affordable for them.”