Last September, CMS educator Lucette Helotie unlocked the door to her new home in Charlotte – a milestone made possible through support from the At Home in CMS initiative and a partnership with True Homes.

“I had wanted this so much,” Helotie said upon securing the keys to her new home, “and I’ve waited for so long.”

Lucette Helotie, a second grade teacher at Albemarle Road Elementary School, has been a teacher in CMS since the fall of 2023. “I knew I wanted to be an educator when I was in elementary school,” said Helotie. “My students are the best part. It’s a blessing to have 20 students that I love dearly.”  

Beyond her passion for teaching, Lucette Helotie dreamed of owning a home – living in the community she serves, feeling a sense of security and knowing she has a place to call her own. As housing prices continued to climb across Charlotte, the idea of homeownership felt increasingly distant.  

Her future started to look clearer when she learned about At Home in CMS, a district-led initiative launched in 2024 to help educators access affordable housing resources. Through the program, she connected with representatives from True Homes – a key partner offering personalized guidance and financial support to help educators pursue homeownership. The more she met with the True Homes team, the more real the possibility became.

“Meeting with the True Homes team made me think, ‘Wow, this might actually be possible,’” Helotie explained. “I can live here. I can stay and work.”

While preparing her students for the future, Helotie has also invested in her own. With support from the district and downpayment assistance from True Homes, she turned her dream of homeownership into a reality.  

“The fact that CMS took such an interest to make sure I was safe, secure and didn’t have to worry about it is huge,” she shared. “There is a place that is mine, it has my name on it, and it’s a safe place to go home at night. I feel on top of the world right now.”  

Lucette Helotie’s story serves as an inspiring example of how At Home in CMS empowers educators to stay and thrive in the community they serve, one home at a time.

CMS invites its educators interested in home ownership to join the upcoming At Home in CMS Housing Fair on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, 1430 Alleghany St., Charlotte, NC 28208. Come to meet with True Homes and other builders, as well as lenders and financial education/counseling partners. Visit the At Home in CMS website to learn more and to register.