For the last seven years, Sonia Cantu has helped countless families as she served as the housing assistant for the City of Odessa’s community development.
The main responsibilities for Cantu includes first-time home buyer assistance program, rehabilitation program, reconstruction program, lawn mowing program for elderly or disabled people and a mortgage, rent and utilities program that is assisting people who were directly impacted by COVID.
Cantu, who was born and raised in South Texas, said the drive to help families either buy their first home or keep a roof over their heads comes from her innate desire to help people.
“We all have a heart, but you have to have a passion to help people,” Cantu said. “It’s a privilege to be able to help them. To be honest, out of the whole part from beginning to end, the best part is when you give them their keys if it’s a reconstruction or whenever you tell them that you are able to help them, their faces light up or if it’s a repair that they can’t afford.
“It’s really a blessing to be able to see and be part of it.”
Cantu said community development has helped many households recently with the mortgage, rent and utilities program that is assisting people who were directly impacted by COVID.
The mortgage, rent and utilities program is to prevent homelessness. The utilities include gas, electricity and internet.
“That program has made a huge impact,” Cantu said. “We had one household that was homeless because of the pandemic and they met all of our requirements and we were able to get those household members into an apartment. They were living out of their vehicle.”
Cantu said the first-time home buyer program, which can assist up to $20,000 in down payment and up to $4,000 in closing costs, isn’t as popular as the rehabilitation or reconstruction programs.
As for the rehabilitation and reconstruction programs, Cantu said there are requirements which include the home must be paid off, there can’t be any liens or reverse mortgages. The home also has to be located within city limits. The property has to qualify and the household has to qualify.
Additional information about any of the programs offered by community development can be found on its website at tinyurl.com/2p9y8bs6. People can also call 432-335-4820 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The rehabilitation program sees a wide array of problems ranging from roof leaks to gas leaks to plumbing issues.
Cantu said homes that go through reconstructions make the biggest impact on her, because she knows those homes wouldn’t be able to be reconstructed without that program.
If a reconstruction takes place, Cantu said there’s a 15-year lien on the property, but it never comes over to the city, it will remain with the homeowner. There are between two and four reconstructions done per year.
Cantu said the way a person who gets a reconstructed home can pay the city back is to live in the home. For every month the homeowner lives in the home a certain amount is forgiven from that total amount. It continues to go down every day for the next 15 years. The homeowner still has to pay property taxes and homeowner insurance.
As an example, Cantu said if the homeowner lives in it for 10 years and wants to sell it they can. The remaining years that they haven’t lived in the home or paid for will be to the city at the date of closing. Cantu said community development files a date of trust on the property. Cantu said that way the funds are protected.
“People otherwise wouldn’t have been able to have a brand new home if it weren’t for these programs,” Cantu said. “…. We all need help in one way or another, whether it’s now in life, previously or in the future. One day, we will all need help in one way or another.”
Though community development can help many people in Odessa, Cantu said she can’t assist everyone whether they don’t meet the financial requirements or housing requirements, but she said she has a list of other agencies that might be able to help.
“I love my job. I really do,” Cantu said. “I enjoy doing it. I enjoy helping people. There are times that we get calls, I get calls, and they don’t qualify for any of our programs. In those situations, I have my wall of information or agencies I can refer people to that might be able to help them.”
