Nonprofit, County Rebuild Aging Home For Valrico Resident In Need

VALRICO, FL — On stormy nights, Valrico resident Terri Hughes worried that the roof of her circa 1955 Valrico home would collapse on top of her while she slept.

"The roof collapsed when someone went up to put a tent on it," Hughes said. "The toilet fell through when somebody sat on it. The cabinets fell off the wall in the middle of the night and I thought there was a burglar in my house. I was by myself and I was terrified."

The home was in desperate need of repairs but Hughes no longer had the ability to make repairs herself or the money to hire someone to make the repairs.

Now, thanks to Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay in partnership with Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services, Hughes no longer has to worry about costly repairs.

On Friday, Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay Executive Director Jose Garcia and President Jerry Mason, joined by Hillsborough County Assistant County Administrator for Equity & Community Impact Cheryl Howell presented Hughes with the keys to a new home in a familiar location: the same lot where her old house once stood.

Hughes moved to 3821 Robinson Road in Valrico in 1988 as a single parent, raising her two children and later her grandson in the home.

As Hughes grew older and her health declined, making repairs to her home became difficult.

That's when RTTB, a nonprofit that Hughes once volunteered with, stepped in to help.

Hughes’ old home was torn down to make way for the new home built with $225,000 provided by Hillsborough County.

“I have an indescribable feeling knowing I will not need to worry about the flooring coming loose or falling through it, and the roof no longer caving in on us,” said Hughes. “I am eternally grateful to everyone involved, especially Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services. There are no words to describe being safe."

Hughes couldn't hold back her tears as she accepted the keys to her new home from Howell.

"It's like the greatest thing ever, next to the birth of my two kids," she said. "The beginning of a new life — that's what's in my hand."

As she walked through the doors of her two-bedroom, two-bathroom home and looked around for the first time, she kept repeating, "Oh, my God."

First, she spotted the modern kitchen with all-new appliances, granite countertops and spacious pantries. Then she made her way down the hall to one of the two bathrooms with toilets guaranteed not to fall through the floor.

"This is beautiful. I've never even rented a place this nice," she said.

The state-of-the-art 1,217-square-foot home is fitted with all of the latest energy-saving technologies, Garcia said, all of which come with warranties.

Under the program, Hughes will not be required to pay a mortgage. Instead, a lien will be placed on the home for 20 years. After 20 years, the lien will be forgiven. The purpose is to ensure the home stays in Hughes' family to provide affordable housing for generations to come.

“Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay's goal is to preserve affordable housing for low-income
homeowners. The county's Reconstruction and Replacement Program contributes toward
preservation for future generations,” said Mason. “We are grateful to be selected as one of the nonprofits that deliver these services. We will continue supporting the affordable housing department in all its plans and efforts to provide a safe and affordable place to live to low-income residents.”

"We are so grateful for Jose and RTTB for their commitment to serve our most vulnerable citizens,” said Howell. “We look forward to continuing this great work and strengthening our partnership to better meet the needs of the community."

For more than 20 years, RTTB, part of a nonprofit national affiliate network, has provided free critical home repairs as well as building new, affordable housing for neighbors in need.

The organization is one of the nonprofit groups that Hillsborough County has collaborated with to create affordable housing for residents.

With the ongoing affordable housing crisis in the county, Hillsborough County invested more than $54 million in 2021, directly impacting more than 24,300 households.

For more information on Hillsborough County's affordable housing opportunities, click here.