AN AHSTI SUCCESS STORY

Four years ago, Josephina Lopez was homeless. She bounced between family and friends after separating from her husband.

At one point, she lived in a mobile trailer home with no heat or air conditioning, but as of June 1, she officially owned her first house.

“It’s a blessing,” said Lopez, now 57 and sitting at the donated table of her brand-new dining room.

Lopez lives in Los Encinos III, the latest housing development built by AHSTI.

To qualify for AHSTI’s program, Lopez had to gather $2,500 for the down payment. She and her friends sold plates of tamales and enchiladas to supplement her salary as a nursing assistant at a local Medical Center.

She now pays $534 a month, a sum that covers her mortgage, property taxes and homeowner’s insurance.

“I thank God every day when I wake up that I have a home.”

Excerpt from an article by Julie Shapiro, THE MONITOR