Before and after photos show the Laredo family’s burned home has been rebuilt

The City of Laredo Community Development Department has completed another important project under their Homeowner Reconstruction Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Grant.

The Muzquiz family home, located at 4601 Acerra Lane, was destroyed by fire in late 2022. The house burned beyond repair and conditions arose that endangered the health, safety and well-being of the residents.

The Muzquiz family applied and qualified for the Homeowner Reconstruction Program to replace their production home, a 100% forgivable loan.

Through this program, a new, open concept production house of 70 m², with two bedrooms and a bathroom, was installed on the family’s plot.

Homeowner Reconstruction Program

The Homeowner Reconstruction Program is intended to improve the living conditions of owner-occupiers with homes that require major repairs and/or replacement.

This program helps income-eligible homeowners rebuild all or part of their homes so that the substandard home complies with the International Code Council’s International Existing Building Code.

The work must also be performed in accordance with the City of Laredo Department of Community Development’s general written building standards.

This program provides a loan with a 0% interest rate for an amount determined on a case-by-case basis based on the size of the household. The program must reconstruct a single-family home owned and occupied by an individual or family with low and moderate incomes. income, which would be less than 80% of the HUD area median income (AMI).

43% of the loan is forgiven if the residency requirement is met for the duration of the note. The homeowner is responsible for paying the remaining 57% of the note within 15 years. 100% forgivable loans are available for eligible elderly and/or disabled heads of households with incomes of 60% or less of AMI.