The fifth home built in Beaufort County by Habitat for Humanity went to the Conner family, William and Vera, in 1999. Seventeen years later, on Dec. 9, the Conners became proud home owners when they paid off their Habitat for Humanity mortgage, just before William Conner retires at the end of the month. William Conner thanked Habitat for Humanity for allowing him to have a piece of the American dream — to be a homeowner — as he grew up in public housing and never thought he would be able to own a home.