San Marcos Couple Blessed With First Home Built By Partnership Between Austin, SMTX Habitat For Humanity

“I’m overwhelmed with the amount of people and support that we’ve gotten,” Celeste said. “It’s very humbling to be in the position that we are today, to be a college graduate, to be married, to beat a lot of the odds that we did.”

Terra River, Managing Editor

On Tuesday, October 23, the new partnership between San Marcos and Austin Habitat for Humanity held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the completion of their latest San Marcos Build.

Homeowners Jonathon and Celeste Munoz were present at the ceremony along with volunteers and members of Habitat for Humanity.

Jonathon and Celeste were born and raised in San Marcos, Texas. The couple met in high school, and Celeste became pregnant with her first born in her sophomore year.

During her speech, Celeste recounted the difficulty and uncertainty she and Jonathon faced as teen parents. While they felt pressure from people to give up their son, the couple decided to keep him, which Celeste says was the right decision because their life has really blossomed since then.

After high school, Celeste was accepted into the Family & Child Development program at Texas State University. During her time in school, she opened a chapter of the national organization at the university, Young Life, to help other teen parents.

According to Habitat for Humanity, the Munoz family found out about the Austin Habitat program through church, and a church friend helped them complete and submit their application.

Since their application’s approval, the couple has been working toward their 300 sweat equity hours.

Austin Habitat purchased a large lot facing Hilliard street and re-platted it for three homes. The Munoz’s house is the first of the three to be built.

“We’re very excited for them because they worked hard to get this home,” said Silvio Cruz, Lending Supervisor for Austin Habitat for Humanity. “In the Habitat for Humanity Program lending team, they’re required to do a lot of things, but the three primary things we look at is that the family has a need, an ability to pay and willingness to partner.”

Recipients for Habitat for Humanity homes aren’t given the homes; the homes are sold to the families. Each habitat homeowner pays a no-interest mortgage and property taxes, which in turn means they are invested in the community.

As part of the willingness to partner, the families are required to put in 300 hours of sweat equity into the project and take an 8-hour “realizing the American dream course,” which teaches new homeowners about all of the responsibilities that come with homeownership including taxes and insurance. 

According to Robert Watts, Director of Regional Operations for Austin Habitat for Humanity, the house took about 10 months to build with volunteers, members of Habitat Humanity and the homeowners pitching in hundreds of hours of work.

“They’ve also worked hard in their home in the waiting process in planting trees and little bushes,” Cruz said. “Even though they’re not required to do that, they’ve come over here and still taken care of the house.”

The Munoz’s home is the 18th house San Marcos Habitat for Humanity has built; in March, the organization announced its merger with Austin Habitat for Humanity to “address the affordability issues throughout Central Texas” in a greater capacity.

Watts said Habitat for Humanity is hoping to start the second home within the next couple of months.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization, which aims to help build strong, stable communities by following the business model of a “Hand up, not a hand out.” The organization is funded by corporate and individual contributions; the Munoz’s home was made possible by the volunteers and fundraisers hosted by local businesses and members of the community. 

According to Phil Hutchinson, President of San Marcos Habitat for Humanity, all donations made in this part of Hays County stay in the area and goes toward building affordable homes.

“I’m overwhelmed with the amount of people and support that we’ve gotten,” Celeste said. “It’s very humbling to be in the position that we are today, to be a college graduate, to be married, to beat a lot of the odds that we did.”

Jonathon said he was thankful for everyone and everything they’d done to help give his family this home.

“We want to help build these next two houses next to us,” he said. “As Silvio said, we’re done with the hours, but that doesn’t mean we stop here; we continue to help others, continue help teen parents and teen moms.”

Celeste and Jonathan were married in 2015; Zachariah is now six years old, and his little brother Jeremiah is almost two.

As a college graduate, Celeste continues to work as the Young Life Coordinator. In January 2018, Jonathan began the Fire Academy and has since graduated; he plans to become an EMT in 2019.

Phyllis Snodgrass, CEO of Austin Habitat for Humanity, presented the couple with flowers to celebrate their new home and a Habitat of Humanity “Building on Faith” Bible as part of a HFH tradition.

To mark the completion of the home, the couple did an official turning of the key and the traditional board cutting.

Currently, the Munoz family is in the process of closing on the house, so they can move in.

Celeste said they are hoping to move in on November 15.