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Success Stories

From struggle to stability: Restoring a family home in Loiza

Danielle O'Donnell
Disaster
Iris standing in front of her house in Loiza, Puerto Rico
Iris, a USDA Rural Development grant recipient, poses for a photo in front of her home in Parcelas Vieques, Loiza in Puerto Rico. She used a USDA Rural Development Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant and USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing 504 Pilot Grant to renovate her home that had damage from storms, most notably Hurricane Maria. (USDA Photo by James Pinsky)

On multigenerational land in rural Loíza, Puerto Rico, stands a new home for Iris. Iris is one of nine siblings who grew up in the house, originally built on land passed down from her grandparents. 

"The grandparents gave a piece of land to each of their children, and they built their houses there, but what they built, they authorized their children to also build," she said. 

Iris lived in a two-story house. The lower level was made of concrete but had been abandoned for many years and was not suitable for living. Over time, the house started to deteriorate. Tropical storms and hurricanes worsened issues including roof leaks and electrical problems. After Hurricane Fiona, the second floor of the house where Iris lived became uninhabitable. 

Iris's house before reconstruction
House in Parcelas Vieques, Loíza, Puerto Rico, before receiving renovations funded by grants from the USDA Rural Disaster Housing Repair Program and the USDA 504 Single Family Housing Pilot Program.

"I spent seven years getting wet in the second floor of the house," Iris recalled.

Due to her health issues, simple tasks like carrying bags upstairs became impossible without help. The stairs themselves turned into a daily battle, and she spent years confined to the second floor due to declining health.

"The stairs were killing me because I have problems with my back and legs. It was becoming very difficult for me to live on the second floor," Iris explained. 

Hope arrived in February 2023 when community leaders Sonia Martinez and Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes visited Iris. They told her about the USDA Presidential Disaster Home Repair Grant Program that might be able to help her living situation. 

Encouraged by their visit, Iris applied for the Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant and the Single Family Housing Section 504 Pilot Program. She was awarded $60,000 in grants to demolish the uninhabitable second floor and renovate the first floor into her main residence.

"They called me, and I sent them some documents,” said Iris. “Finally, in May 2023, they were going to start rebuilding my house." 

Iris moved in with family while her house was being repaired and waited for the day she could move back into her home.  In April 2024, she moved back into her newly renovated, safe home. 

"Everything was beautiful, the bathroom was great, the kitchen with its cabinets. It is very beautiful. I am very grateful because it was a totally different house. It didn't look anything like before when it was destroyed," Iris exclaimed. 

The grant money was used to demolish the uninhabitable second floor and remodel the first floor in concrete, which will serve as the main residence. 

Iris's house after reconstruction
House in Parcelas Vieques, Loíza, Puerto Rico, after receiving renovations funded by grants from the USDA Rural Disaster Housing Repair Program and the USDA 504 Single Family Housing Pilot Program.

"Now I am happy because I go, open the gate, have the car, go to the doctor, go shopping, and everything is easier for me now,” she said. “I am more independent now."

Thanks to local leaders' collaboration and USDA Rural Development's assistance, Iris can now enjoy her home once again as a place of safety and comfort for the next chapter of her life. 

“I tell people all the time that I am very grateful for the program,” said Iris. “They showed me consideration and responded to my situation”. 

Obligation Amount:
$59,220.00
Year(s) of Obligation:
Congressional District:
  • Puerto Rico: Resident Commissioner District At-Large