Los Vecinos de las Misiones CDC				Photo:Missiones CDC
		My name is Ricardo Uresti. My wife, Arleen, and I recently purchased our two-bedroom home with the assistance of Los Vecinos de las Misiones Community Development Corporation.
		We are so happy and excited about our new home. Compared to where we used to live, this is paradise. For two years, we lived in a two-room railroad shack. The shack had holes in the ceiling, no insulation in the walls, and no sink in the bathroom. Our pipes were outside, so they often froze in the winter and we had no water. Our son slept on a mat on the floor. My wife and I work hard; I was in the United States Army for 16 years and served in the Vietnam War. Now, I am a security officer for VIA and my wife is a housekeeper. We were unable to find a decent rental unit that we could afford. And it was even more difficult to save money for a down payment on a house. I believe that one of San Antonio’s biggest problems is low standard housing for poor people. Through Los Vecinos and the Texas Veterans Land Board’s zero-interest mortgages, my family and I were finally able to move out of that shack into our own home. Our monthly payment is only $211 per month.
					Our house is new to us, but it was built in the 1940’s as housing for employees of St. Mary’s University. It has been unoccupied for about two years. My family and I are very grateful for the assistance we received in obtaining our dream home. We hope Los Vecinos is able to assist other families who may be living in the kind of conditions we experienced.
		"I believe that one of San Antonio’s biggest problems is low standard housing for poor people."