Sherilyn Cruz is a single mother raising three children on her own. She has been employed with the Department of Education as a teacher’s aide for over 13 years. And for the past 12 years she has been living with assistance from the Guam Housing & Urban Renewal Authority’s (GHURA) Section 8 government subsidy housing program.

USDA Rural Development provided Ms. Cruz with a $220,000 direct home loan. The funds were used to purchase a 3-bedroom, 2 and a half bathroom home in the northern village of Yigo, Guam.

After many years of renting a home, Ms. Cruz and her children can now enjoy the satisfaction of becoming first-time homeowners. The family now has more control over what they want to do with their home as opposed to being restricted as renters. "Being a single parent is very difficult and paying rent for over 12 years was heartbreaking considering I was paying towards the mortgage of another person," said Cruz.

Once they were approved, the search for a new home finally began for the Cruz family. The search was a family affair as Sherilyn wanted her children to also be a part of looking for their very own home. "My kids and I found the perfect home that suited all our needs," she said.

"My family now has a place we can call our home." She also expressed her gratitude for the assistance that the local USDA Rural Development staff offered her throughout the application process.