On a sunny weekend in Somerton, while many families gathered for the Easter holiday, Jesús Garcia and his wife Lydia Cortez were hard at work building their family home.
“In these times, it’s difficult to acquire a home because it’s expensive so this program makes it easier to afford a home,” said Garcia, who works in agriculture.
The Garcias have been working for about one year on a home for themselves and their 18-year-old daughter Jasmine.
“We’ve talked with others who have finished their homes," said Cortez, a sales associate at a Walmart store in Yuma. "They say it’s tough but it’s worth it.”
The Garcia home is part of the Rollow subdivision in Somerton, a border community of about 25,000 people.
The subdivision is a Housing America project that uses funding from state and federal programs to help people get into homes of their own.
Housing America is a 501 C 3 non profit that has worked since 1976 to help low-income families achieve homeownership or find affordable rental housing. Manuel Figueroa, president of Housing America’s Board of Directors for Yuma County, estimates the agency has helped people build more than 500 homes since it began. This includes 169 homes in the Rollow subdivision.
“Our clients, of course, they’re farmworkers. They haven’t formally been trained or educated," said Figueroa, who is also a municipal judge in Somerton. "I’m not demeaning that but it’s more so important to provide the training and the education that helps them achieve the American goal of owning a home.”
The self help program helps very low income individuals willing to build 65 percent of their own house and work on the homes of others. They receive training and commit to weekend hours and completing their home in about a year.
Housing America also owns three apartment complexes for those who do not qualify for the self help home program. Figueroa said no matter what economic challenges families face, there is a way to help them find affordable housing.
Figueroa says the impact is generational and builds the community.
“It impacts the community in that they take ownership," he said. "They feel that neighborhood is ours, for example, Rollow here in Somerton, they say hey that’s our community. Let’s keep the streets clean, let’s keep crime out of the area. Let’s look after each other. So it’s built like a family of homes and it’s helped the community overall, not just Somerton but Yuma (and elsewhere).”
Angelica Sotelo Solorio and her husband Tomas have been working on their home for about 10 months. Angelica said her parents built their home in Somerton through the Housing America program and she said they live comfortably. She looks forward to the day she receives her key after all the hard work they’ve put in.
“It’s about starting a foundation," said Sotelo, who works as a dental assistant in Somerton. "It’s going to be a big emotional moment... it’s going to be a blessing.”
Figueroa said there are about 27 homes currently being built in Yuma County through Housing America.
—-
Tonight the event Maxed Out! The Story of Affordable Housing in Yuma is scheduled at the Historic Yuma Theatre where people will share their personal housing stories in a unique storytelling format. Details: 928tix.com.
