CRESTVIEW — A week and a day. That's how long Debbie Campione and her family were given to move out of their home.
Today was the deadline.
Campione, her daughter, Crystal Pryor, Pryor's five children and their affectionate chocolate Labrador, Mocha, had just eight days to vacate their Lee Avenue home, find a new place to live and move.
Habitat for Humanity will demolish the mobile home in which the family had been living rent-free. It plans to build a new home — one of six planned for Crestview — on the property.
Phil Bowman of Fred Bowman Realty, which sold the property, has been helping the family find a new home, but apart from a pair of unheated, leaky one-bedroom trailers, the search has been fruitless.
A call to Habitat for Humanity for comment was not returned.
Campione said the family has applied for one of the several new Habitat for Humanity homes planned for Crestview, had an interview with the organization Wednesday, and is awaiting word.
If the family's application is accepted, Campione said the main challenge will be finding a place to live until the house becomes ready.
"It takes months to build a house," Campione said.
More challenges
Pryor is disabled and receives Social Security benefits, Campione is still recuperating from injuries related to a car wreck, and her 11-year-old granddaughter is mildly autistic.
"Our stress level is out there," Campione said. "My 20-year-old grandson was put on blood pressure medicine Monday."
The family has been frugal with their income, which is supplemented by Pryor's boyfriend, a building contractor who helps pay the bills, Campione said.
While they have enough money to meet the $800 monthly rent for a home they looked at earlier this week, they have only been able to put away $350 toward a security deposit.
Campione said her family appreciates Bowman Realty for letting them live rent-free in exchange for fixing up the trailer, and for helping them find a new home.
"They're very nice," she said.
Campione said she has tried seeking help from resources including the Homeless Coalition, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and United Way, but without success.
With the Thanksgiving holiday in the middle of their eight-day grace period, finding assistance has been difficult, Campione said.
"I just don't know what to do. I really don't — especially this time of year," she said. "This is supposed to be a time of miracles. Someone has to have a heart somewhere. We're not looking for a handout. We just want a roof over our heads. That's all."
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Homeless for the holidays: Family 'just wants a roof over our heads'