USDA celebrates housing act in San Luis

SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Nine San Luis families realized the American dream of homeownership Thursday, thanks in part to an act passed 60 years ago.

The Housing Act of 1949 authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make loans to farmers to improve homes and other structures to provide sanitary structures and expanded the program to farm workers.

The new San Luis subdivision is a great example of how the 1949 act is still providing housing opportunities for rural America, said Alan Stephens, USDA Rural Development state director.

USDA's Rural Development Office provided the funding, and the Comite de Bien Estar located qualified families who provide "sweat equity" as part of the USDA's Self-Help program, which matches young families with new homes they help build themselves.

Stephens said the goal of Self-Help is to accelerate homeownership opportunities by forging partnerships with community nonprofit organizations such as Comite de Bien Estar.

"Arizona is the third-largest state in the U.S. utilizing the program, and Yuma has the largest number of homes built in the state. With our partnership with Comite, we've built 420 homes in San Luis since 2000.

"And during this terrible recession, Self-Help is giving a boost to the economy by providing jobs in construction. And the Obama administration, in offering stimulus funding, has recognized the value of this program by increasing funding for housing construction," Stephens said.

Comite Executive Director Tony Reyes said when Comite began 30 years ago with the aim of helping Mexican-Americans and new immigrants build assets, they were not very certain it could happen.

"We knew at the time it was a struggle to get things going. But Self-Help is proof that together, we can accomplish a lot more than any one family could alone. Today we're proud to be celebrating with Group 41."

The designation Group 41 refers to the nine families who took possession of new homes and are the 41st group of recipients to move into new homes since Self-Help began in 2000.

Gibran Munjardian, his wife, Tania, and their young son are one of the families to move into a new home on San Francisco Street.

The family, after 11 months of helping with construction, were at last able to move in, said Tania.

"We're very excited we'll finally have a place of our own. At first it was difficult to build, but once we knew what were doing it got much easier."

Tania praised contractor Manuel Campa for guiding her family through the building process. She said their son, Aaron, is especially happy now that he has a yard in which to play.

Eduardo Bojorguez and his wife, Patricia, along with son, Eduardo Arath, moved in to another home on San Francisco Street. Eduardo said it was extra work to build his home because he had to put in hours after his job as an Arizona Department of Corrections officer but it was the best opportunity he had for homeownership.

"We're really happy. My wife wanted to move in today but we couldn't get the furniture and the bedding, so we start tomorrow."

As part of their eligibility, families were required to help each of their fellow members in Group 41 build their homes as well. But the great thing about helping one another was they got to know their neighbors well and now are close friends, Eduardo said.

The new subdivision in San Luis, known as "9A," is about four miles east of town off Avenue F.

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William Roller can reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.