SAN ANTONIO – Sixteen families moved into new homes this week that they helped build.
Nonprofit Habitat for Humanity helps families build affordable homes and offers interest-free mortgages to pay them off.
Adriana Huerta is one of the new homeowners and is a single mom of two.
She said she couldn’t have done the work without the nonprofit and her son.
Huerta has lived with her parents for twenty years with her daughter, who is now grown and moved out, and her 17-year-old son.
She said she finally got the courage to apply for a home with Habitat for Humanity. She will get to move in with her son this week.
“We were living at home with my parents, which I love, I adore everything that they have done, but it’s that time that a door opened,” Huerta said. “I took the chance and applied for the program and now I can’t believe this is going to be my home.”
The nonprofit, serving San Antonio and the Guadalupe Valley, has helped over 1400 families since its inception in 1976.
The program requires the homeowners to help build their homes, putting in between 250-500 hours of “sweat equity” into their homes and other habitat builds.
She said it was her son who helped push her through.
“(At the) beginning of the program, he said ‘Don’t worry mom, I’m gonna go through the program with you and you’re not gonna be alone,’” Huerta said.
Huerta said at times, especially in the heat, the building process could be overwhelming, and is grateful for the volunteers and other habitat homeowners who cheered her on.
“There was times where I just wanted to leave,” Huerta said. “And everybody’s like, you got this. We only have one more hour left. You can do it.”