Their home ripped to shreds by a violent tornado, the Burkhart Family lost nearly everything they owned. OHFA played a small role in helping them put the pieces of their lives back together.
As she gathered with coworkers around a TV in her office in northeast Oklahoma City last May 20, Carrie Burkhart watched helplessly as a tornado devastated her neighborhood and two nearby elementary schools. Knowing her husband Scott and 11-month-old son Jack were safe and out of harm’s way provided solace, yet she feared her home had been hit.
“They were talking about the schools. We live in the same neighborhood as Briarwood and we live across the major street from Plaza Towers. There was no way our house was still standing,” she said.
Carrie and Scott arrived at their home that evening to find it reduced to rubble. They spent the following few nights with family members and began planning for their immediate future. The Burkharts looked to social media for help and guidance. Sites such as Facebook helped them to find their lost dog and find clothing for Jack. It also introduced them to OHFA’s Tornado Relief Grant.
“The Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency gave us money to put down a deposit on a house to rent,” said Carrie. “It was a big deal because it takes a lot of upfront money to rent a house and when you’ve just lost everything, you don’t have that kind of money.”
This grant provided immediate assistance to the Burkharts as they began rebuilding their home. Now nine months after the storm, they will soon move into their newly rebuilt home. Not taking any chances, they have installed a tornado shelter in the home’s garage.
OHFA helped 382 families like the Burkharts with immediate housing expenses. With grants of up to $2,000, OHFA paid for hotel stays, utility and rent deposits and for first month’s rent.