Written by Ana Placencia, Area Specialist, Uvalde Sub-Area Office; and Gayle Cargo, Texas USDA Public Information Coordinator
Last month in the south Texas community of Uvalde, Texas State Director Paco Valentin witnessed how USDA Rural Development and the Self Help Housing Program can touch the lives of families in rural Texas. Family, friends and collaborating Agencies gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of three homes that will forever change the lives of these new homeowners.
FUTURO Communities, Inc. has been awarded two grants to administer funds thru the Self Help Housing Program to help limited income families construct their own homes. The program is targeted to families who are unable to buy clean, safe housing through conventional methods. Families participating in the project perform approximately 65 percent of the construction labor on each other’s homes under qualified supervision. The savings from the reduction in labor costs allows otherwise ineligible families to own a home.
“I commend the Falcon, Fernandez and Guerrero families on their efforts and willingness to provide a better quality of life for their families and congratulate them individually for their success,” said State Director Valentin.
These families began building their homes in December 2009 and recently completed construction. The financing of the homes was made possible with USDA Rural Development Direct Housing Loans and Texas Department of Housing a Community Affairs Bootstrap Funding.
