AUSTIN, Texas — A year-and-a-half after Hurricane Harvey hit, families are still trying to figure out where to live.
On Tuesday, Habitat for Humanity showcased that at the Capitol.
For the first time ever, Habitat for Humanity worked on raising a house frame inside the Capitol. They hammered and nailed boards together in the outside rotunda in the Capitol extension.
The home will go to a woman who lives in Refugio County, where Harvey apparently destroyed more than 70 percent of the homes there.
“Alice is elderly and she's disabled and has had multiple surgeries in her legs, and so she had to, her home was destroyed, so she bought an RV for her," said Cynthia Staley, the president of Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity. "The RV is a safe, secure place, except she can't get in and out, she has to crawl up the steps to get into the RV. This home that we're building is actually going to be ready for her to move in with a wheelchair, or a walker if she needs, it will have a ramp. We're really excited to be able to do this.”
The build was in honor of Habitat for Humanity Texas Day at the Capitol.
"This highlights the work we have every day across the state, and people learn better by seeing," said Amy Ledbetter Parham, the executive director for Habitat for Humanity Texas. "People stop by and said, 'I didn't know you were doing this, can I hammer?' Yes, you can hammer! anybody can volunteer for Habitat, you don't have to have special skills, we have the special skills that you need to be able to build a house.”
They also invited members of the legislature and staff to help with the build. A few stopped by.
"This is just an excellent way to get the rest of the state involved that they know Habitat for Humanity is on the ground long after a disaster strikes," said Ledbetter Parham. "It’s called long-term recovery for a reason, and we'll be there for years in the future.”
The house they're building will be a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home.
"It's so important, these families, there's been over 71 percent damage in construction in Refugio County, and these families have been suffering for over 16 months since the hurricane,” said Ashley Jett, the assistant director for Refugio County operations.