by Ulises Silva
In the past few months, TRP has helped many people achieve the dream of home ownership. For two families in particular, buying a home meant so much more than signing on a dotted line.
Emeterio and Karyk Padilla are a young couple who’ve lived in Chicago for 10 years. For Emeterio, home ownership was a dream he didn’t think he could pursue. “I never thought I could afford to by a house,” Emeterio says. “I was young and I was afraid to see what my credit was.”
But after hearing about TRP’s home purchase program at a mass at San Miguel church, the Padillas signed up for TRP’s trolley tour of our new NSP2 properties for sale and saw a home they wanted to buy. So they signed up for TRP’s free financial wellness classes to better position themselves for home ownership. “Thanks to TRP,” Emeterio says, “we educated ourselves on the home buying process.”
With new knowledge and confidence, Emeterio applied and was approved for a home loan, and closed on their new house in November. The Padillas are now looking forward to becoming a part of and helping out the Back of the Yards community.
For David and Maria Zavala, a married couple with children who had lived in small, cramped apartments since coming to the United States, home ownership was also a dream that seemed impossible. “We’d see houses and think how nice it would be to own one,” says Maria, “but we always thought we never could own one ourselves. We’d tried to buy a home before, but the real estate broker told us we didn’t have enough for one.”
They heard about TRP’s home purchase program and decided to learn more about it. They signed up to take a tour of three of TRP’s NSP2 properties in Back of the Yards, and fell in love with the first house they saw. So they decided to give the home buying process another try.
“We had many doubts about it,” says Maria. “But TRP gave us the confidence to move forward.”
The Zavalas closed on their home in November. “The kids are happy,” explains David, “because here they have room to play and grow.”
The Zavalas are now encouraging others to follow in their example. “This is a process you have to follow,” says David. “TRP teaches you about financial education and about your responsibilities as homeowners. Many people hear about this program, and they wonder, ‘How can this be? It can’t be true.’ But TRP took us by the hand, and they helped us every step of the way, even with closing.”
But for both parents, having a home means more than just having more room for their children. “We were told this can be a tough neighborhood,” says Maria, “but if we put in the effort and make sure our kids get a good education, we can help to end the violence. It begins with having a good home and a home filled with love. TRP gave us the chance to have such a home.”
Learn more about TRP’s Home Purchase program here!

Return to Nueva Vida February 2013 here!