Housing Repairs for Falcon Household and Family

Housing Repairs for Falcon Household and Family

Posted on March 1, 2023

When Norma Falcon first applied to SHE’s Rehabilitation Program, her priority was helping her mom receive assistance to repair her deteriorating home in Sanger. Since her dad passed away two years ago from COVID, Norma and her siblings have taken care of their mom together. “Her home was totally destroyed,” said Norma. “The foundation was off, and nothing was working right.”   

During the application process, Norma mentioned that her home in Parlier also needed repairs. Her bathroom, in particular, had holes in the back of the sink, growing mold, and a bathtub that had become dangerous to get into due to Norma’s back problems. It was then that Irma Wheeler, SHE’s Housing Rehab Project Technician, suggested she also apply for assistance with her own home’s repairs.   

Although applying for assistance for separate homes located in two cities seemed daunting at first, Norma was able to secure repairs for her bathroom and also the reconstruction of her mom’s home. “Irma is the best, she’s the one that told me, ‘I’m going to ask you for a lot of stuff, but don’t lose hope, just keep bringing the documents to me, and we’ll get through it,’” said Norma. “She explained everything so perfectly.” 

Norma’s bathroom is now completely rehabilitated with full accessibility modifications, including replacing her bathtub with a shower unit, a new comfort height toilet, new flooring, and hardware throughout. “I let everybody see my bathroom now,” said Norma. “I can finally walk in with no problems.”   

Her mom’s house is also nearly finished with the reconstruction process. She will soon be able to move into a safer home with wheelchair-accessible features. Through their positive experience, Norma’s brother was also encouraged to apply to the program and was able to receive assistance to replace the roof of his Fresno home.   

Large portions of the affordable housing available to low-income people in the San Joaquin Valley are older homes. Through partnerships with cities and counties in the San Joaquin Valley, Self-Help Enterprises works with local community leaders to identify housing needs, secure funding, and successfully implement housing repair efforts for residents. Housing rehabilitation assistance can meet a critical need for homeowners who lack the funds to make necessary physical health and safety improvements to their homes.  Learn more