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The Echoes Podcast dives into real-world questions about community, faith, and human connection. Guided by hosts Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega, each episode explores personal journeys and societal challenges with inspiring guests—from faith leaders and poets to social advocates—whose stories shape our shared experiences. Through conversations with figures like Rev. Ben McBride, who moved his family to East Oakland’s “Kill Zone” to serve his community, or poet Olga Samples Davis, who reflects on the transformative power of language, we bring to light themes of belonging, resilience, and the meaning of home.
From the creators of Echoes Magazine by the H. E. Butt Foundation, The Echoes Podcast continues the magazine's legacy of storytelling that fosters understanding, empathy, and action.
What does it mean to have a place to call home? The question may seem simple. It likely conjures up feelings of warmth and security, being provided for. But perhaps the better question to ask is, what does it mean to have no place to call home? This is the question that faces all too many of our neighbors.
News Clip:It's being called the perfect storm. With rising costs, rent has become out of reach for more local families, and though there aren't enough affordable housing units either to help them.
Camille Hall-Ortega:For many in America and around the world, the reasons for housing challenges run the gamut, ranging from wages that don't keep up with inflation, rising property taxes and gentrification, folks falling on hard times like unexpected medical issues that lead to insurmountable financial challenges, or simply growing older, dealing with income constraints, and struggling to keep up with required maintenance on a home, leading to its disrepair.
News Clip:Cost of living grow along with a shortage of affordable housing units. It's two reasons city leaders say renters are willing to stay in a property filled with problems and filth.
Camille Hall-Ortega:For instance, according to a 2021 report from the University of Texas at Austin, five hundred homes are demolished every year in San Antonio due to disrepair. And San Antonio has led in the number of demolitions ordered compared to all other Texas cities. Demolitions mean more neighbors without homes. So in 2022, the city piloted a different approach that would rebuild instead of tear down. I'm Camille Hall-Ortega from the H.E.Butt Foundation.
Camille Hall-Ortega:This is The Echoes podcast. On today's episode, we welcome our guest, Elizabeth Cruz. Elizabeth is a social worker for San Antonio Affordable Housing, and she's the project manager at the center of their initiative called Project Rebuild, an effort featured in a recent Echoes article. I'm here with my co-host, Marcus Goodyear. Welcome, Elizabeth.
Marcus Goodyear:Hello, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Cruz:Hi, Marcus.
Camille Hall-Ortega:We're glad to have you. We know we give a little intro upfront about your work, but it's very brief. And so we'll wanna hear just all about what you're up to in your role over at San Antonio Affordable Housing. What do you do?
Elizabeth Cruz:I am a licensed clinical social worker, and I am the program manager for Operation Rebuild. And I have the pleasure and honor to work with homeowners to help them restore their homes. For a lot of these homeowners, these were homes that they're they inherited from their parents or a sibling or this is the home that they raise their children in. These homes are deemed either dangerous premises or have a demolition order. And to be able to restore that for these homeowners has been just I can't even put into words, but as I'm saying it, I have goosebumps.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Yes. I'm sure I can only imagine. What would you say are some of your favorite parts of your job, or what are the wins that you like to celebrate in your job?
Elizabeth Cruz:I'm thinking about the most recent one that I feel is a homeowner who had lost hope, didn't understand, continues to ask me why do you care, and can't even fathom the idea that someone would help them. And to get to the point where I just last week said, are you beginning to feel a little more hopeful? And she said, I am now.
Camille Hall-Ortega:That's beautiful.
Marcus Goodyear:What do you tell somebody when they say why do you care? I mean, what what's your answer in that situation?
Elizabeth Cruz:Because that is what I do. I care. I am privileged to work in a profession or have a job that aligns with my personal values. I get to serve. I get to to share, and I get to be the hands and feet of Jesus, you know, and I am a person of faith. So I care because He cared.
Camille Hall-Ortega:That's so good. I want to give a little bit of context for the listeners. Can you just tell us a little bit more about Operation Rebuild? What does it look like?
Elizabeth Cruz:So Operation Rebuild is a demolition diversion program, and a lot of homeowners are losing their homes because they can't afford to restore, to rehab their homes. And we were creating a situation for homeowners that cannot afford to fix their homes and have to get a notice to vacate and have to leave their homes. And they end up experiencing homelessness, and we get to restore their home. I think the the story that was featured, this homeowner received a notice to vacate, and she, left her home and just said she found herself praying that God, sent someone to save her home. And I was looking for her and had it took me about three months to find her.
Camille Hall-Ortega:This is Olga?
Marcus Goodyear:Yes. Olga Escobedo, who we who we we featured in Echoes. Now you said it took you a while to find her? Can you say more about that?
Elizabeth Cruz:When they receive a notice to vacate, then they have to go. So we're working with the development service department to, "Okay, If you deem it a dangerous premise, put them on our list. Let me find them, and let me help them relocate." I spent a lot of time finding our homeowners. A lot of time.
Marcus Goodyear:And what what kinds of places did you find them in? Were they living in apartments? Or...
Elizabeth Cruz:Family. No. No. They can't afford to get an apartment. So with family, friends, some have even ended up in the Haven For Hope, the shelter here in San Antonio.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Wow. And so I imagine that even just that those moments of being able to to find them, that's a win. Right? That you're reaching out with hope for them.
Elizabeth Cruz:For sure. For sure. It's a win. And, a little interesting story with Olga's case. I involve the family. A lot of the homeowners are, elderly, and I involve the whole family. What's who's your support system? Because the support system will benefit from the generational wealth that hopefully we're able to give back. And also, it it gives that homeowner an opportunity to be successful. And I invited all the kids.
Elizabeth Cruz:Everybody was involved. Well, one of her daughters, in Atlanta, she came to visit and she told her mother, I wanna meet this woman. And so we went to our favorite taco place, and she sat across from me with arms crossed. "What's the catch?" And I was like, "No catch."
Elizabeth Cruz:This truly is a great program. Whatever's paid out in the rehab of the home, she has to just commit to keeping her home for twenty years and turn to a covenant with us. And so her sister said, "Yeah. Mama pays it back with time." And and I said, "That's exactly right."
Camille Hall-Ortega:Wow.
Elizabeth Cruz:And now every time the sister comes in from Atlanta, she tells her mother, you know, invite Liz out. Let's go get a taco. Yeah.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Oh, I love that. People might find it hard to believe that they're reaping these benefits without a catch. How do people qualify for operation rebuilds?
Elizabeth Cruz:So there is an income eligibility, and we have to submit all the documents to the city. They get verified, income verified, and they're out you know, whatever they need, I help with documentation. I help them look. Let's go request your award letter. So there's a lot of steps, and so I help facilitate that process, make it easier for them.
Elizabeth Cruz:They can't have any liens on their property, and we help with that as well. The the homeowner that now has a little bit of hope, we had to help her remove a deceased brother from her title, and it was often it was just an oversight in the title company where they didn't see the the the legal paperwork. And then with an attorney, I was like, what do I need to do? And the attorney said, "Hey. She's the homeowner, and here's the language here." I don't speak legal.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Yes. Right. Neither do I.
Elizabeth Cruz:So making connections, you know, that attorney, he's someone that's really invested in the West Side. We want a twenty year commitment. We wanna give him a product that will last, twenty years. You know, the the buzzword is trauma informed approach, but we also give a trauma informed response when we work with the homeowners. Any contractor that touches our families, we talk to them.
Elizabeth Cruz:We kind of set up, an expectation of how we will do this work for this family. Getting the links with DST, to help us with some of these fees and just building the relationship with them. So before you give them a notice to vacate, "Hey. Go out with Liz and let her talk to the families." That way I don't lose track of them.
Marcus Goodyear:Right. Right.
Elizabeth Cruz:And I get to find out where they're going.
Camille Hall-Ortega:That's great. We're talking a lot about Operation Rebuild, but I know folks are gonna be interested in what are people facing when it comes to affordable housing. I know, Marcus, you you were reading up on some statistics even just lately. Right? Just seeing... what is the housing situation look like in San Antonio specifically?
Marcus Goodyear:Yeah. The the median price of a home in San Antonio is over $300,000 right now, the median price. And, rent for a 400 square foot apartment is starting at $650, which $650 a month seems affordable. But for 400 square feet, I think the room I'm in right now is bigger than 400 square feet.
Marcus Goodyear:And, you know, if you're trying to get a house, you're looking at potentially thousands of dollars in rent every month. So what are what are the difficulties that people are facing who can't find affordable housing? It's just not an option for them.
Elizabeth Cruz:That's the buzzword, affordable housing. You have developers saying, "Oh, we are building affordable houses," and and I'm this is my sarcastic voice. It isn't affordable for the community. And as you mentioned, let's say the $650 is the when you're on a fixed income, when all you get is $900 a month, In order to rent an apartment, you have to make- some places expect you to make three times the rent, good affordable housing, say two times the rent.
Elizabeth Cruz:Well, two times of $650 already puts you over what, $1,300, and they're only getting $900. So they're ineligible. So they can't even afford to get an apartment with their income. So these developments that are going on around San Antonio are still unaffordable. And even though they have affordable in their name.
Elizabeth Cruz:So that's a problem. Right now, I'm working with four families that I need help relocating them. And we're going to pay for their temporary lodgings. And I still can't get them in because they still have to meet that two times the rep requirement.
Camille Hall-Ortega:What do you wish people knew, specifically San Antonians? What do you wish they knew about housing issues that a lot of people don't know?
Elizabeth Cruz:If we start with just neighborhoods and and some of the homeowners, they don't wake up saying, "I want my house to just fall apart." I just wanted to fall apart." Who does who says that? No one.
Elizabeth Cruz:They want their homes. They wanna take care of the homes. Some of the individuals can't afford some of the repairs. Some of them are too old to take care of their lots, and or have mobility issues. That shouldn't be a reason for you to lose your home.
Elizabeth Cruz:We have lost our humanity in knowing our neighbors, helping our neighbors. Instead of complaining to the city, going to your neighbor and saying, "Hey. Is there something I can help you with? Oh, I'll pull out the trash for you. I have a grandchild. You know, I'm gonna pay my grandchild $20 to go mow your lawn. Is that okay?"
Elizabeth Cruz:You know, whatever it is, we we're just losing our humanity and and that sense of neighbors, neighbors helping neighbors. It's just becoming something of the past.
Camille Hall-Ortega:That's huge because I think, you know, for people of faith, we know that we're called to help others. Just like you said, be the hands and feet of of Jesus. And so we need to be mindful of what that looks like, specifically, with these challenges, with housing challenges. Now I'm curious because with Operation Rebuild, you've told us a lot about the process. So how people qualify, and then what the process looks like for while their home is being rebuilt, And, kind of what some of the stipulations are for them to be able to to have that, you know, enjoy that rebuilt home. But we know that it kind of starts with a home in disrepair that's been identified for for demolition. And we know demolition is not cheap. It's expensive. Right?
Elizabeth Cruz:Yes. And, homeowners are held responsible for the demolition. They have to pay that fee.
Marcus Goodyear:Woah.
Elizabeth Cruz:Yes. So it started there, and a councilwoman, in D5 decided, there's too many demolitions in this district. We need to do something about it.
Marcus Goodyear:So imagine I receive a demolition notice, and I have to pay for that. But the reason I'm receiving the demolition notice is that I don't have enough money to take care of my home. I mean, obviously, I'm not gonna be able to pay for the demolition. So what happens then?
Elizabeth Cruz:There's a lien on the property.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Oh, gosh.
Elizabeth Cruz:And it really is it just it's just so counterproductive. There are other programs prior to receiving a demolition order that you can apply for. There are the city has a lot of rehab programs, but, you know, they received thousands and thousands of applications. And then you have to narrow it down and, oh, we can only fix a thousand this year.
Elizabeth Cruz:So that's 2,000 other homes that are not being addressed. And then you talk about accessibility because these applications have to be filled out and everything uploaded in a computer. Well, what happens to individuals that have don't have access to a computer or the Internet or, you know, it's like who doesn't have that? There's a lot of people that still do not have access to a computer or an or Internet. And we have to help facilitate that.
Elizabeth Cruz:But let's let's talk about other programs, other supports, and and really building a relationship with them. Let's see if there's other ways we can help them.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Mhmm. Preventative.
Elizabeth Cruz:Absolutely. Instead of, yeah, preventive, instead of reactive. And sometimes it's as simple as, helping a homeowner clear out their lot. There's a lot of trash. There's a lot of debris. And a lot of the elderly, sometimes their children, their adult children. Oh, well, you know, we'll take it to mom's house and dad's house and, you know, and leave things, cars that break down and and and things like that. So there's a lot of reasons why things get, a lot of there's a lot of stories, but getting to the bottom and seeing how we could resolve, and and bring solutions that don't require the demolition order and really adding more injury and retraumatizing the homeowners.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Amazing. A recent issue of Echoes, we told the story of Olga Escobedo, which we've spoken a little bit about her. We tell the story of what you've mentioned that unfortunately rings true for many people in San Antonio facing the same issues, which is that she was, you know, elderly. She inherited a home from her parents, and the home began to fall down around her because she couldn't afford the repair, and she couldn't do it herself. And so she was facing her home was was facing demolition, and we heard the story of you finding her and letting her know that she was gonna be a part of operation rebuild.
Elizabeth Cruz:Well, for me, truly was an honor, working with the family. And I just didn't work with her. I worked with the family. We said we have many meetings. I never wanted when she signed documents, I never wanted her there alone. I wanted her support to be there and witness. I explained things over and over because if I don't understand legal, you know, and I have a master's degree, I can't imagine some others that, you know, maybe just went to high school and maybe didn't finish some that didn't finish high school. So explaining the terminology, the legal documents and what it meant. You know she was just, I just want my house.
Elizabeth Cruz:She was ready to sign and I was like, "Wait a minute, Wait a minute. I really want you to understand, and I want your children to understand..."
Camille Hall-Ortega:It's a commitment.
Elizabeth Cruz:It is a commitment, and it's ongoing. We go have a taco at least once a month. There's still some things. It's the support that she needs to be successful. The Olga that I started working with is not the Olga that I visit with once a month now.
Elizabeth Cruz:She's just happy in her house. She shows me every time she does something different in her house and it's just so beautiful to see her, in her space and and it be a space. And she's on top of everything. "Hey, look. That nail looks like it's coming out." You know. She is on it. "I changed the filters."
Elizabeth Cruz:They have to also they have to attend the home maintenance class, and she went with her and her daughter and I. We all took the class. It was very informative. These are things that she may not have done before. Well, let me just go back a little further. Her home never had central air or heat.
Camille Hall-Ortega:It's hard to imagine in South Texas. I know, you know, there may be listeners in other states where that that could be commonplace to not have central AC, but it is a must in South Texas.
Elizabeth Cruz:While we're rehabbing, they're not allowed to go in, but I would take pictures and I would send them. When I visit with her, I would show her. And she says, "But what is that black thing?" And I said, "Oh, that's your central air and heater." And she goes, "Oh, wow."
Elizabeth Cruz:I would be doing our program a disservice if I didn't share how much we gather everyone that's touching our homeowners' homes into the the mix and and and really falling in love with the family. Right? We're working with a family. We're not working with a property. You know, that was one of the first things I wanted to change, the language. It's not an address. This is a family that lives at this address. That's who we're working with. I wanted to add the humanity to our work.
Elizabeth Cruz:But the contractor on his own enclosed her back porch because she wanted washer dryer, and she never had. And so they put the fixtures. Oh, we could put the fixtures on the back porch. So he enclosed it for her. He goes, "If it were my mother, I wouldn't want her having to deal with the, you know, the elements."
Camille Hall-Ortega:Ah, the elements.
Elizabeth Cruz:Yeah. Yeah. And, so beautiful. It's beautiful. So heartwarming. So anytime I see what we're doing for homeowners and and serving them and the way just just like we're talking, just talking to them like that. What's going on with you?
Camille Hall-Ortega:Yeah.
Elizabeth Cruz:What's happening? How can we support you? Again, getting to know who the homeowner is and their their history.
Camille Hall-Ortega:And you're getting to experience that every day, and so I can imagine that's just rewarding.
Elizabeth Cruz:So rewarding. I can't believe I get paid.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Well, you have communities of folks that are grateful for the work that you do and your team, and so I think it's beautiful. You talked about experiencing a different Olga now, and I imagine that housing crisis takes a toll emotionally on folks. What do you see? Tell us more about, what you see for folks who are facing housing issues and kinda how you see that progression.
Elizabeth Cruz:Olga held on to hope. She's a person of faith. So she was, like, always holding on to hope. However, she just was not comfortable. It wasn't her space. She was in someone else's space, and she was living like that. And you just get well, bounce from here to here. And and so it wasn't her space. Now she's in her home. She's just so empowered.
Elizabeth Cruz:I just look at the pictures. I think the pictures in the Echoes magazine is just it shows her now just that empowered, sense of this is my home. I love working with the families, seeing them go from hopeless to having hope, from not being able to envision to, "oh, wow. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel." To move in and say, "This is your home now."
Elizabeth Cruz:Oh, wow. Just to be so in awe. I remember the first time we walked through Olga's house. Olga was ecstatic. She was just so happy, but her daughter was in the back and you could see the tears running down her face.
Elizabeth Cruz:That's their home. And, yes, it's a property that property identified as a concern in the neighborhood, but there's a family that's there. So how can we support the family and then rehab their home? So guess what? Now the support we've given that family, they're going to have the ability to sustain and maintain their home after the rehab.
Marcus Goodyear:We think of restoring homes and we imagine the before and after picture of the house, which I've seen the before and after picture of of Olga's house. But you're talking about the before and after picture of the of the homeowner, of the person who lives there and before hope and after hope and before maybe before gratitude and after gratitude. It's just it's really beautiful.
Elizabeth Cruz:Definitely. And, I think about the homeowner that lost hope and is beginning to feel some hope. Even before we made a determination of whether or not she could participate in the program, she looked at me and said, "Thank you. For the first time, I feel like someone's on my side."
Elizabeth Cruz:It never gets old to hear that, to to see that hope, to that just a slight smile. Like, wow. There is a somebody who does care enough. Still questioning why, but someone does care.
Marcus Goodyear:So, Elizabeth, there's this thing we do in our podcast where we pull audio from the foundation archives. Foundation's been around since 1933, and we wanted to share with you a clip that's a little bit more recent than some of the audio clips we share. This is from a recent Laity Lodge retreat. Laity Lodge is our adult Christian retreat center. And the clip we wanna play is, Alan Jacobs, who is a professor at Wheaton College, and he's talking about repairing a broken world.
Marcus Goodyear:So I would just like to listen to this and then and get your take on it.
Alan Jacobs (recording):"What I'm always looking for is a way to invite people along with me, Christians and non Christians alike, to do the work of rebuilding and renewing and restoring a broken world. To repair the broken world, not to discard it, not to condemn it, not to throw it away, but to repair it. And how what does that look like? What does that repair look like? And how do we invite other people to participate in that with us?"
Marcus Goodyear:As you hear that, we're talking about repairing homes. We're talking about, bringing hope to people who may have lost hope. What's your response to Alan?
Elizabeth Cruz:I, 100%, align with what he just said. Some of the cleanups we organize for the homeowners in preparation for the rehab, helping them pull their their valuables out and then helping them discard the things they want to discard. We get together volunteers that help clean up the brush or and mow lawns and cut trees and and help us do things like that. And we can't- I can't do it alone. I am a part-time contract employee, so I absolutely need their community, whatever community they're living in to support them to be successful in their home.
Elizabeth Cruz:And some of them need ongoing support, changing the battery on the smoke detectors. I ran into a homeowner that said, I have mobility issues. My sister has mobility issues. I can't get up on a ladder to change. I could hear it that it needs to be changed, but I can't change it.
Elizabeth Cruz:So simple little task that the community neighbors, it's what I said earlier. You know, we're losing that where neighbors can check-in on each other. I think ministries, you know, outreach ministries don't just outreach those that are unsheltered, outreach those that might need some additional support, the shut in, the the widows. It's biblical. Right?
Camille Hall-Ortega:Exactly.
Elizabeth Cruz:We should be providing that kind of support. So I'm always looking for volunteers and anyone that feels touched to to to volunteer, I am happy to get their support.
Camille Hall-Ortega:I love that. I mean, that's exactly the the question we would have for you. And for folks who know that the need is there, who have been informed by this time or by just looking at their community around them, what are the next steps that you might recommend? What's one thing?
Elizabeth Cruz:So I don't expect you to go to people's homes, knock on their door, and just because, I mean, unfortunately, there are situations where there are mental health issues and that's the reality and that's a reality I've encountered. And I'm skilled in helping de-escalate situations. So even when I have volunteers, I'm there with the volunteers making sure everything is going the way it's supposed to be going. But getting with outreach, ministries that do outreach for the seniors, and there are a lot of programs that help, clear mow lawns, cut grass. You know, those are necessary.
Elizabeth Cruz:Some of my homeowners have mobility issues. How do they maintain their property? Those are some of the citations they get. Overgrown grass. A lot of them don't have support. So let's support our community.
Camille Hall-Ortega:Beautiful. I think it's important for us to note that, of course, we're talking a lot about San Antonio and the broader areas, Texas, but housing affordability issues, housing challenges, it's everywhere. It's all over our country and all over our world. And so we would say for the folks who are looking to get involved in being a part of the solution, that this is still great advice for them, that there are organizations that are already doing the work, but they need extra hands. And so it's great to know that someone like you who is boots on the ground in the middle of that help is suggesting that that's a great way to to start getting involved.
Elizabeth Cruz:Absolutely. Even helping get boxes as they move and pack their things. You know, just there's so many things that when we rehab their home, helping with refurnish it. We are a country where we have extra. You know, sometimes it's sharing some of what we have. You know, we can't out give God.
Elizabeth Cruz:So, that that's something I've always experienced. And so I really do feel that it's important that we share our time, and sometimes it's our resources. So, you know, if you can't give time, give resources.
Camille Hall-Ortega:I love that. Elizabeth, we're so grateful for your time today with us and for all that you've shared. We appreciate you. Thank you so much for being here.
Marcus Goodyear:Yes, Thank you. Thank you for the work you're doing.
Elizabeth Cruz:Yes. Nice meeting you both.
Camille Hall-Ortega:The Echoes Podcast is written and produced by Marcus Goodyear, Rob Stennett, and me, Camille Hall-Ortega. It's edited by Rob Stennett and Kim Stone. Our executive producers are Patton Dodd and David Rogers. Special thanks to our guest today, Elizabeth Cruz. The Echoes Podcast is a production brought to you by the H.E.Butt Foundation.
Camille Hall-Ortega:You can learn more about our vision and mission at hebfdn.org.