IMMOKALEE, Fla. — A family of six in Immokalee now has a place to call home after years of living in one bedroom.
The Paiz family dreamed of having their children learn to ride bikes in a neighborhood of their very own. But Maria and Carlos Paiz struggled for years to find affordable housing in Immokalee, facing one rejection after another.
Click here to see Immokalee Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Paiz family
"We would tell the kids, oh, well, we're getting the house. And then the price changed, because, you know, COVID hit, and we had to tell our kids we're not getting the house anymore. So our kids even started getting like discouraged and like disappointed," Maria and Carlos said.
But the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance changed everything. The organization builds affordable homes for working families.
Chairman Arol Buntzman says many families are forced to live in horrible conditions.
"Many families have little but no choice but to live in trailers and shacks that are 60, 70 years old, filled with mold and mildew and cockroach dust," Buntzman said.
The Alliance builds hurricane-resistant apartments and families pay 30% of their income for rent. For Buntzman, seeing families like the Paizes thrive is deeply rewarding.
"It is the most heartwarming thing I've ever done, to help families move out of horrible conditions," Buntzman said.
Now this family of six has a brand new home with separate bedrooms and space to breathe.
"It's a blessing, really. Now they have their space," Maria and Carlos said.
For this family, it's more than just housing — it's a place to call home.
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