Stories

Maria is a Veteran who had been on her homebuying Journey for about 1 year and was about to give up. She was referred over to Fifth Ward CRC.

She attended one of the Homebuyer Education Classes and was able to work with Mary Guerra as her Housing Counselor. She got her credit score where it needed to be in order to qualify for Down Payment Assistance (DPA) as well as obtain a Pre-Qualification letter.

She was finally able to close on her home this year and is now a proud homeowner. She never thought she would be able to accomplish this.

Mr. Williams faced the risk of foreclosure after losing his job in 2021 due to the pandemic. In the years that followed, he moved between jobs but was unable to secure stable employment. In 2024, he was hospitalized and received a serious medical diagnosis which, if left untreated, could result in permanent blindness. Due to limited insurance coverage, he incurred significant out-of-pocket medical expenses.

As a result, Mr. Williams was unable to keep up with both his medical bills and his monthly mortgage payments, leading to foreclosure notices from his lender. Despite his financial hardship, he continued to make partial payments whenever possible, though he was unable to bring the loan current.

In 2025, Mr. Williams secured stable employment, improving his financial situation. After receiving another foreclosure notice, he reached out to Avenue for assistance. Working with an Avenue counselor, he reviewed his options and, based on his financial circumstances, was able to identify a solution that allowed him to avoid foreclosure and keep his home.

Dean* has deep roots in his family home, where he has lived his entire life. After his parents passed away, he honored their wishes by remaining in the home. However, Dean’s situation was precarious. He could not prove that he owned his home since his parents passed away without any estate planning. As he worked to stabilize his situation, Dean turned to legal aid to help navigate the legal processes needed to protect his home and future.

While managing a disability and working to secure stable income, Dean faced complex legal and financial systems. He needed to lower and defer his property taxes to avoid tax foreclosure. He also needed clear title to his home to access needed home repairs after multiple disasters.

Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) stepped in to help. We researched the title to the home to confirm that Dean was a legitimate heir to the home. We then prepared legal paperwork to prove his legal ownership, reinforcing his right to remain in the home that has long anchored his life. LSLA also helped him access homestead exemptions and a tax deferral to avoid tax foreclosure—creating a foundation for long-term stability.

Through this partnership, Dean strengthened his ability to maintain safe, stable housing and protect his family’s legacy. His story highlights how legal aid serves as a vital bridge—helping individuals navigate complex systems and secure essential resources to achieve lasting stability.



*Names have been changed to protect clients’ privacy.

I would like to sincerely thank the Tejano Center team for their incredible support through the application process for the Weatherization Program with CenterPoint Energy. Everyone I was connected with throughout this process was exceptionally kind, respectful, and professional. Their positive attitude brought me so much joy during what could have been a stressful experience.

To my surprise, my new air conditioning unit was installed yesterday, and I am absolutely overjoyed with the result. I am deeply touched by the care, dedication, and help that Laura and her team provided. Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who made this possible. Thank you for truly being a blessing in my life.

Words cannot fully express how grateful I am to Tejano Center and Ms. Gabby Luna for the life changing assistance I received. During a period of severe financial hardship in 2022, I fell behind on my mortgage and was at risk of losing my home. With their guidance, I was able to apply for financial assistance through the Texas Homeowner Assistance Fund, which helped address my mortgage delinquency and stop the foreclosure process.

Ms. Luna stood by my side every step of the way, advocating for me, helping present my case in court, and ensuring everything was filed accurately and in my best interest. Because of her unwavering support and dedication, I was able to keep my home and begin rebuilding my stability.

Afterward, my home was impacted by multiple disasters that struck our area, causing further damage to an already vulnerable situation. Through Tejano Center, I was also able to apply for home repair assistance, allowing me to restore my home beyond what I ever imagined possible. In 2026, I can finally say that I have fully recovered and feel whole again.

Simply saying “thank you” feels inadequate for what Tejano Center and Ms. Luna did for me during one of the most desperate times in my life. Their compassion, commitment, and support gave me hope and allowed me to reclaim my home and my future.

I began my homebuying journey in 2019 by attending a homebuyer education workshop, where I gained a clear understanding of the process and the steps I needed to take. As a teacher, I initially found that I was over the income limit for the standard down payment assistance programs.

Through the support of the Tejano Center team, I learned about the Harvey Down Payment Assistance Program offered by the City of Houston. Because this program was funded through disaster recovery, the income guidelines were more flexible, allowing me to qualify.

In 2021, I successfully purchased my first home. Thanks to the assistance I received, I am now paying less for my home than I was for my rental. This milestone would not have been possible without the guidance and support of Tejano Center and my realtor, who stood by me every step of the way.

I am truly grateful, thank you.

I am deeply grateful to have been referred to Tejano Center during one of the most uncertain times in my life. When I began this journey, I didn’t believe homeownership was something I could ever achieve. Living with a visual impairment and limited income, it often felt like that dream was meant for someone else, not for me.

Through Tejano Center’s 8-hour homebuyer education class, I slowly began to understand the process, but more importantly, I began to feel a sense of possibility. In my one-on-one counseling sessions, Laura Escamilla offered not just guidance, but patience, compassion, and reassurance when I needed it most. She connected me to resources like Covenant Community Capital, where I received additional support and learned lessons about financial stability that I will carry with me for life.

This incredible team also helped me obtain down payment assistance from the City of Houston, which made my monthly payment something I could truly afford. That support removed a burden I didn’t think I could overcome.

Even with all of this help, there were moments when I felt overwhelmed and unsure if I could make it to the end. But my team never gave up on me. My realtor, Maria Bonilla, my lender, Zoey Mejia, and everyone at Tejano Center stood by me, reminding me again and again that this was possible that I was capable.

Today, I am a homeowner.

That is something I still struggle to say without emotion. My son now has a room of his own and a backyard where he can play safely. For the first time, we have stability, comfort, and a place that truly belongs to us.

There were so many moments when I almost gave up, when I felt like the odds were too great. But I chose to trust the people who believed in me, even when I didn’t fully believe in myself.

My story is proof that even when life feels uncertain, and even when the path seems out of reach, the right support can change everything. I will always be thankful to Tejano Center and everyone who helped make this possible.

Edna Cantu and her husband Bernardo spent years dreaming about owning a home. They wanted to own something that felt like theirs—a place they could hang photos and plant flowers without having to ask permission from a landlord.

They reached out to REALTOR Claudia Alvarado who helped them find the perfect four-bedroom home for their family. The home is spacious enough that each of their kids has their own room. It also has an open floor plan and large windows that provide natural light.

Claudia also connected them with Gracie Perez, one of TSAHC’s top mortgage loan officers. Gracie helped them apply for TSAHC’s Home Sweet Texas Home Loan Program to help with their down payment and closing costs. In addition to being thankful for the down payment assistance, they were surprised at how quick the process was.

“Using TSAHC’s down payment assistance was a super easy process. We submitted all our documents through an app, and we had no idea our closing would happen so quickly. Everyone was very kind and helpful throughout the process, and we’re so excited to be settled in our new home.”

A Houston native, Andrew Armstrong left Texas seven years ago to join the US Coast Guard. While his military service required him to relocate frequently, he never gave up his Texas residency hoping that one day he and his family would be able to move home.

In summer 2023, he received military orders to move back to Texas. Andrew knew this was his family’s opportunity to finally buy a home and create the life they had been dreaming of. However, they only had six weeks to get everything done, so they knew they’d need to act quickly.

They quickly connected with REALTOR Bethania Sanchez who introduced them to Jake West, one of TSAHC’s top lenders. Jake helped the Armstrong family apply for TSAHC’s Homes for Texas Heroes program, which provided them with a VA loan and more than $7,000 in down payment assistance.

With Jake and Betty by their side, they were able to meet the moving deadline and close on their home in less than three weeks. They now own a small piece of the state they have always called home.

Heather,* a disabled military veteran, came to Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) for help protecting the home she shared with her mother, Jan,* after Jan passed away in 2020. Jan was the only person on the mortgage and the property title. Jan’s will named Heather as her sole beneficiary, but the family faced legal questions about Jan’s will and how to move forward—especially because several years had passed since Jan’s death.

At the same time, the mortgage on the home was moving toward foreclosure, so Heather needed answers quickly. The title history was also complicated by the possible legal interests of other family members, including Heather’s brother and Jan’s spouse at the time the property was purchased. One important step was confirming that she could be recognized by the mortgage company as the “successor in interest”—the person with the right to apply for options that could stop the foreclosure and keep the home.

LSLA provided steady guidance and hands-on legal help—support that can be hard to access without a lawyer. The team reviewed property and court records to clarify what was needed to transfer ownership. They also worked with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to confirm there was no Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) claim against the estate. To help resolve the title issues, the LSLA attorney prepared the legal documents necessary to clear the title to the property. With the ownership issues addressed, LSLA helped Heather contact the mortgage servicer, confirm her successor-in-interest status, complete a loss mitigation application, and confirmed cancellation of the foreclosure sale of the property.

In the end, Heather was able to clear the title and place the home—valued at more than $200,000—in her name. LSLA helped provide stability for a veteran and protected a family asset that could have been lost to foreclosure. Stories like Heather’s show why civil legal aid matters: when people face complicated housing and estate issues, timely legal support can help keep families safely housed and preserve the foundations they’ve worked hard to build. A home and future are worth protecting.

*Names have been changed to protect the client’s privacy.

Two years ago, Corisha Rogers began a journey toward homeownership by seeking assistance from a housing counseling agency in Houston.

She took an eight-hour homebuyer education course and paid down debt, monitored her credit and increased her income to become an attractive candidate for a mortgage. Her initial attempts to buy a home were frustrating. The first time she was ready to close on the purchase, the seller got cold feet and the deal fell apart. The next time, the lender backed out after Corisha used her credit card for a car repair.

She sought help from a different organization – Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, which provides comprehensive community resources to residents of Houston’s historic 5th Ward.