Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs - Building Homes and Strengthening Communities

An Undivided Porción

Sasha Marshall, TDHCA, 8/31/10

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Cardenas Family, Roma TX
HOME Rehabilitation Assistance Program
Photo: Sasha Marshall, TDHCA

Tragedy sometimes makes people resilient. Diana Cardenas can attest to this. After her husband passed away in 1996, she quickly realized her job as a domestic worker was not enough to support her and her five children so she worked hard to become a certified Home Health Provider.

In the fall of 2006, heavy rains flooded the Cardenas’ home. Four feet of water damaged the home’s interior structure, as well as furniture, clothing, and other personal belongings.

“We lost everything,” Ms. Cardenas recalls. “Although we were blessed not to have a fatality, I became desperate because I was financially unable to repair my home and replace our belongings.”

After the flood, the Governor declared the City of Roma a disaster area so city officials applied to TDHCA’s HOME Disaster Relief Program. The city was awarded TDHCA’s HOME Homeowner Rehabilitation Assistance (HRA) funds to reconstruct eight homes damaged by the flood.

Ms. Cardenas applied for the assistance but was denied because her property was located on an Undivided Porcion. An Undivided Porción is a piece of property with many owners who have small interests in the entire property. Much time and legal work is required to weed out the true owners of the property. Realizing the time and cost of untangling the Undivided Porción was worth the effort, Ms. Cardenas sought legal help to resolve the Porción issues and get a clear title to her property.

Two years later, Ms. Cardenas was granted a judgment to her property. With a clear title, she reapplied to the City of Roma for HRA assistance. This time around, she qualified and received a 15-year deferred forgivable loan to reconstruct her home.

“The time, trouble and money were all worth it. Our family time has increased. Before the reconstruction, it was not possible for everyone to be in the living room at the same time. Now, the house is designed with a larger living space and we are able to enjoy our time together.”

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HOME Rehabilitation Assistance Program