This article was written by Deborah Schagen, Hands on Housing Program Director.

There were 135,000 homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017. No less than 13 million people were affected in parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Harvey caused 125 billion dollars of damage, and dumped 27 trillion gallons of rain fall on Texas alone. Churches, government agencies, and community organizations all stepped up to help, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that there are still so many homes and families that have not received ANY assistance to date. Recognizing this, iACT’s Hands on Housing program applied for a grant to help Harvey’s victims.

The grant, which was awarded to us, is administered through the Texas State Affordable Housing Commission and focuses on the Aransas County area, mainly Rockport and Fulton. Hands on Housing staff made their first trip out to Aransas County in December to conduct a needs assessment and met with victims of the storm. In three days, we received six applications from homeowners in desperate need of repairs, and made partnerships with five agencies that have been helping in the area since day one of this tragedy.

The last couple of weeks have been dedicated to screening each applicant for eligibility and now we can move into the fun part: construction. We will utilize a mixture of skilled volunteers and professional contractors to complete the repairs needed and return this exhausted family to their home.

Below are photographs from one of my home visits. The original house was completely destroyed by the storm and had to be demolished. The homeowners qualified for FEMA assistance and spent the entire allocation of funds on purchasing a shell of a new home, as well as proper electrical wiring and plumbing. Volunteers will handle the drywall, siding, and flooring. The contractors will come in to install windows, a shower, etc. It is a beautiful collaboration of big hearts and the homeowners could not be more filled with gratitude and appreciation for all the help. Hurricane Harvey did its worst, but the community of Texas stands strong, united, and undefeated. Thank you to TSAHC for giving us the opportunity to restore hope to this resilient and patient community.