CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With Hurricane season officially underway forecasters say it will be an active one.
Back in 2017 it was forecasted to be an average year, but along the Texas coast Hurricane Harvey proved to be anything but average. The hurricane caused $125 billion dollars in damages.
Now one Robstown family has finally been able to move back into their home nearly five years after the hurricane destroyed their home.
Alfredo and Frances Gutierrez have lived in their home on the 800 block of Benavides street since 1971. However, when hurricane Harvey came along, their house had to be totally rebuilt. Frances welcomed 3News into her home and explained that after Harvey, she heard about the General Land Office's home assistance program. She applied for it and was accepted.
"They sent in inspectors to come and look at the house and they noticed they could see that the house has shifted off the piers," Francis said.
It was eventually torn down and rebuilt through that homeowner assistance program run by the general land office. Francis said she was just asking that her home be shifted back onto the pier and beams.
"When we heard about this program I just wanted them to level the house. They said we don’t fix them, we repair them. We build them brand new. And that’s how we got here," Francis said.
Brittany Eck, Communications Director for the Texas General Land Office's disaster recovery division, said her agency was in charge of doling out federal HUD dollars for Hurricane Harvey recovery.
Eck also told 3News that the Gutierrez family is just one of thousands around the state who took advantage of the housing program.
"She is one of 5478 homes that are now complete. We have another 500+ houses under construction and another 1500 that have been approved and are waiting permits or for the person to move out," Eck said.
Meanwhile, Francis have nothing but praise for the State's help,
"I'm very appreciative of all of this. I mean without this program it couldn’t have happened there was no way," Francis said.
The Gutierrez home was not only rebuilt thanks to the federal disaster recovery dollars but, it was made to withstand floods and any more hurricanes that blow through.
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