AUSTIN, Texas — Since February, Spectrum News 1 has been following the fallout from the winter storm.
Thousands of Texans were displaced because of storm damages. We’ve been following an East Austin family’s struggle to find a new home with increasing rent prices and lack of low-income apartments.
The journey for Maria Romero and Arthur Jimenez has been harrowing to say the least.
They’ve been searching for an apartment nearly nine month, and their story is not unique for many people in Texas, especially in the Austin area.
“It’s been a long road just trying to find a place that’s affordable and isn’t turning us away so quick or there’s no line,” Jimenez said.
Romero and Jimenez’s family have been sleeping in his parents living room in Cedar Park. The couple and their two kids lost their apartment when it flooded from the storm.
For a while, Romero had to commute nearly an hour to her job in Austin. Not long after, she lost that job — their family’s main source of income.
After searching for work for months, they found a part-time gig at a catering company. Since then, they’ve been saving up and searching for a home they could afford.
Finally that day has come.
“It is a little, like, weird,” Jimenez said.
They only just got the keys to their two bedroom house a few days ago. The couple is still busy moving all their stuff and unpacking.
“[I’m] actually pretty happy,” Romero said.
Even on an air mattress, she says they were excited to finally sleep in their own room.
“Ahhhh, it was wonderful” she exclaimed.
This house isn’t perfect. They already found mold, the fridge is broken, the microwave has missing pieces and there are other physical damages.
“They barely touched it up,” Jimenez said.
So, even though they have a home, Romero and Jimenez say they are praying they won’t be dealing with the same issues they had at their last apartment. They are still waiting for to get their safety deposit back.
“It seemed within reach and we just took it, whatever we could take at that point,” Jimenez said.
Because there were so little affordable options, the couple says they had to take what they could get.
Statewide, the supply for housing outweighs the demand. Texas Real Estate Center’s 2021 market outlook report shows rent is growing faster than wages.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition Map shows Texas ranks the lowest for affordable and available rental homes.
Without a fridge, their first meal in the new house was Chinese take-out. That night also happened to be their six year anniversary
“In the six years that we’ve been together, like I don’t think I’ve ever been, like, more in love with someone,” Romero said.
So the road to recovery isn’t over quite yet, but they’re thankful for each other.
Romero says the thing she’s looking forward to the most is cooking a proper meal for her family. Because what really makes a home is who you share it with.
“Can lay your head anywhere pretty much,” she said. “When you actually sit down and like, be with your family, you know, and just enjoy a good meal together and not have to worry if you’re taking the table for too long or if someone needs to use the table, it’s just us.”
Romero says the maintenance worker who tested her last apartment for mold actually started a Gofundme for the family and even donated some furniture for the new house.