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During Hurricane Harvey, Jim Edwards had to be evacuated from his home in South Union. “The water came in through [the front] and sat and then [the floor] just went down,” he explained. Waters rose to near-waist level and caused enough damage that Mr. Edwards’ home had to be demolished. The Harvey Homeowner Assistance Program built him a brand-new house, which is open, bright, and most importantly, elevated to keep him safe from future flooding events.

On the day she moved in, Mrs. Gabriel and her family members stood on the elevated porch watching furniture arrive in the middle of another rainstorm. But instead of worrying about the rain, the family was focused on other things: like how to arrange her furniture and who will host Thanksgiving. It was a bright and warm morning despite the rain, thanks to family and friends filling her house with well-wishes.

Mrs. Reynolds, an elementary school teacher, learned about the Build it Forward program from a friend living in Sugar Land. When they found that they could qualify to receive a reimbursement, they were shocked and grateful. “Everyone was so nice, open-armed, and helped us through the whole process, but it did take a while.” The reimbursement will allow the Reynolds to “catch up” from what they spent repairing the infrastructure of their home.

Mr. and Mrs. Zavala in the Northside region also qualified to have their home completely rebuilt through the Harvey Homeowner Assistance Program. They began the application process earlier this year and are now getting to see their house demolished and rebuilt. The new home will be elevated to prevent from future flooding. Meanwhile, the Zavala family remains active in their community, supporting their neighbors through Harvey recovery and participating in events with their civil organizations. They remain enthusiastic about their construction. They have all but adopted their housing specialist, Nancy, and have promised to make tamales for a party to celebrate reconstruction.

Emma Wood (81) has lived in her house in South Park for 50 years. Now, she’s about to get a new one. Hurricane Harvey devastated Ms. Wood’s home and made it difficult for her to continue with her way of life. Even after turning to many different organizations, no one could get Ms. Wood the help she needed. Then she learned about Build it Forward Houston and qualified to receive aid.
Ms. Wood will get a newly constructed, elevated home, where she and her son can live safely, without worrying about future flooding. Demolition on Ms. Wood’s home began July 31, and she received her keys to the new home on August 23. “I never thought I’d get a house like this at my age,” says Wood. She agrees that the long process was worth it. “You have to be patient, but stick with it.” Soon, she’ll be able to get back to the parts of life she enjoys, like caring for the elderly and baking for her church community. She is among the first set of homeowners to begin the process of reconstruction.