SAN ANTONIO – At least 20 homes needing repairs or safety and health upgrades will receive assistance, thanks to $1 million in funding.
This initiative, known as Project Building Up, was launched by the Merced Housing Texas Owner Occupied Repair Program and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro.
Seniors, people with disabilities, and those on fixed incomes with limited resources will benefit from the funding, which will go toward repairing homes in District 20 in Bexar County.
The nonprofit Merced Housing Texas has helped 781 Bexar County residents, including low-income seniors and people with disabilities, to repair neglected or underinvested homes since 2002.
The organization has a long waiting list of people in need, all on fixed incomes and unable to afford necessary repairs.
Castro presented a $1 million check from his office to help the nonprofit continue serving Bexar County residents.
Castro said some seniors could not afford $50,000 in repairs.
“Oftentimes, they would be forced to sell their homes and go somewhere else,” Castro said. “This allows them to make repairs and stay in the neighborhood where many of them have been living for decades.”
One of those residents is Hildegard Mayorga, who faced health issues that drained her finances, leaving her unable to cover necessary home repairs. She lives in a nearly 100-year-old house on the city’s West Side.
According to Mayorga, the nonprofit organization Merced Housing Texas sent crews to assess and make needed repairs, donating approximately $40,000 worth of work to her home.
“I found out the foundation was very off and was creating cracks interiorly and exteriorly,” Mayorga said. “I found out that the lead paint from1925 was chipping and falling all over the yard and affecting my health, and the ceiling was falling inside. They fixed all of it.”
You can find out more about Merced Housing Texas on its website.