Bryan family settles into new house from Habitat for Humanity (2024)

In their previous residence, Erica Cardoso and her three teenage sons shared two bedrooms and one bathroom in a mobile home in Bryan. As one could imagine, mornings were a struggle between getting ready for work and school as they made do with what space they had.

As of Friday, the Cardosos won’t have to worry about the cramped quarters anymore, as Erica and her sons were presented with the keys to a new house through Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity. The family’s home features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and an expanded kitchen and back yard.

“Honestly, I don’t have words,” Erica said. “Just an overwhelmed feeling of happiness, but overall I’m real thankful and grateful for this opportunity.”

Habitat for Humanity made it possible for Erica to purchase her first home and fulfill a lifelong dream of the single mother, who was born in California and moved to Bryan at a young age. Her sons, 18-year-old Israel, 16-year-old Jose and 14-year-old Jesse, were each born in the area.

“That was one of my goals,” Erica said. “By the time I hit this age, [I wanted] to start purchasing a home. It’s an awesome feeling to be able to get that one.”

The path to the Cardosos’ new home has been a process two years in the making that began with Erica applying to the Habitat for Humanity home ownership program after two other family members benefited from the organization. She said her and her boys will be kept busy this weekend as they hope to be fully moved in by Monday.

A self-described “kitchen person,” Erica said she’s most excited to prepare meals for her family with an expanded cooking space. Family proposals for a house-warming party may have to hold off, though.

“Just pump the brakes a little bit,” Erica said with a laugh. “Let me get in here first.”

With Reynolds & Reynolds sponsoring the renovation process, a number of volunteer groups stepped up to go to work, including Aggie Habitat for Humanity, the organization’s Texas A&M campus chapter. Students from Bryan High School and Rudder High School and Holy Cross Lutheran Church lent a hand in construction as well.

“I love each one of them, got to grow a bond with them,” Erica said. “Amazing people that you come across that you’ve just never met before. It was just an overall good, great experience.”

Renovating the Cardosos’ home took a village. Plenty of other organizations united to volunteer, while other companies offered in-kind donations or discounts on supplies. Many restaurants kept volunteers fed by providing meals.

“It’s always good to see those kinds of things come together and see the kind of impact they make on people who live and work right here in the Bryan-College Station community,” said Carl Orozco, Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity director of development.

Erica received an interest-free loan for the house from Habitat for Humanity and will pay it back with a 30-year mortgage. With average rates for a 30-year mortgage in Texas ranging between 6.5% and 7%, according to U.S. Bank, the removal of interest from the home-buying equation constitutes a significant discount.

“You take that off of that with 0[%] interest, and that’s what makes it affordable,” Orozco said. “That’s anywhere from [a] $200, $300 difference [per month] on a mortgage, and it can make a big difference, especially when you’re low- to middle-income families.”

While working full-time, Erica also had to contribute at least 250 hours of “sweat equity” as part of the agreement to receive her home. Such service includes assistance at the construction sites of other homes or volunteering within Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, selling gently used furniture and appliances to support the organization’s mission.

Orozco said the Cardosos met the criteria to be eligible for the support of Habitat for Humanity with their need for a new home, the ability to pay their mortgage and a desire to share their story with others. Erica will also attend 12 weeks of home ownership classes, covering home maintenance, insurance and legal matters.

Habitat for Humanity seeks to provide quality, affordable housing through the construction and renovation of homes. The Cardosos’ house, a renovation of a home built in 2010, is located in a subdivision off West 28th Street comprised entirely of Habitat for Humanity homes, with over 110 plots of land.

“I came over here a couple days ago just to make sure I knew where [the house] was going to be,” said Hap Wert, president of the Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity board of directors. “It was like going down memory lane as far as figuring out where I was and what I’d been doing and what I did on various places, etc. It’s very rewarding, at least for me, to see people get their house.”

In conjunction with Habitat for Humanity’s mission, Friday’s house dedication represented a new stage in the Cardosos’ lives as they settled into an upgraded home.

“I’ve been doing this for going on 11 years, and each one of the families, they’re all certainly appreciative, but it means different things to different people,” Orozco said. “Some of them, it’s more for the kids. They’re really doing this for their children, which is always a big part of that. Some of them, it gives them a sense of accomplishment. It’s something they worked for and struggled with for a long time and finally accomplished it. It just runs a myriad of different emotions.”