Habitat for Humanity affiliate broadens scope
to take on innovative colonia development

By María Eugenia Guerra

Habitat for Humanity of Laredo is about to become Habitat for Humanity of Webb County, a transition that will expand the local affiliate's mission to include the development of a 20-acre tract on Hwy. 359. A Habitat colonia project developer, a position funded by a Habitat for Humanity International grant, will oversee the development.
"Our goal is to serve people at a very low income level, according to HUD guidelines, who traditionally would not be able to qualify for the existing Habitat program," said Habitat's executive director Carol Sherwood. "We will attempt to arrive at a monthly mortgage payment complete with escrow and tax payments of about $200 to $250," she said.
"This is not an overnight project. We must first find the project developer and continue to work on the funding for the purchase of the land, 10 acres of which we will buy outright, and 10 acres donated by a very caring group of developers," she said. "Up ahead, beyond the land transaction, we have land clearing and platting, and finding funding for infrastructure and building materials. It may be 18 months to two years before we have new homeowners in this Habitat development. We have assurances that water and sewer infrastructure is coming to the area. After easements and roads, we will have sites for as many as 60 homes," she continued.
"While it is not unordinary for our organization to serve humanity, this is a departure from the homes we have built in the past. It's a sign that God is answering our prayers to be able to serve the most needy of our community," Sherwood said. "We know that income constraints have forced many area residents to live in certain parts of our county, and that they have traded basic amenities for the ability to pay for the piece of land on which they live. It is Habitat's desire to give them an alternative and to put them in a home they can afford," she said.
Sherwood said the colonia development was "not an overnight project" and that in addition to closing the land transaction and platting, that funds needed to be secured for infrastructure and building materials for the individual homes. "We hope to be interviewing prospective homeowner partners within a year," she said.
"There are many exciting components to this project, which will allow residents of that area accessibility to Habitat's partners in education, health, and other family support services. This project is designed a little differently and has a more holistic approach to the overall needs of those who will qualify and live in Habitat homes. It is our dream to build a community that can grow into becoming self sustaining on all fronts," Sherwood continued.
According to Sherwood, income qualification guidelines are lower for the new development than for Habitat for Humanity homes built in other sectors of the city. "Anyone interested in this particular project can call our office to determine if they meet the basic qualifications. We want to get them on a mailing list so that when we do start interviewing and qualifying applicants, they can be notified," she said.
Sherwood said that for the purposes of this development, Habitat for Humanity has joined forces with the Texas A&M Colonia Project and the Texas A&M School of Architecture, which will help with the design of the master plan that will include green and recreational spaces. "The architecture students from College Station will work from the Laredo campus of A&M," she said.
"The homes of this development will provide basic shelter and will be built in a manner that will allow adding rooms or wings that can accommodate extended family housing or housing for elderly parents. The idea is to keep the family together," Sherwood said.
Habitat for Humanity of Laredo has built 15 homes in Laredo, eight of which are located in the Riverhills Subdivision in South Laredo. On November 9, the newly completed home of Elizabeth and Gilberto Palomares will be dedicated at Riverhills.