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Patricia Limas spent 10 years and hard-earned savings to turn her house into a home, only to say goodbye because of its rapid deterioration from unforgiving heat.

Some people love rainy days; they love the smell of wet earth and the sight of drops falling on their windows, but for Patricia, rainy days were nothing but worry. “When it rained outside the house, I saw that the walls were thin and damp as if it were paper thin,” she said. 

Patricia’s seven-decade-old house sits in a low-income neighborhood in central Laredo and is surrounded by aging homes. Most of her neighbors do not have the financial means to fix cracks or peeling walls. Poverty affects nearly 20% of the Laredo population making home repairs and upgrades a struggle, or luxury, for many. Structural inequality in Patricia’s neighborhood is a visible reminder of persistent neglect from government officials and landlords. Struggling residents often bear the burden alone which can affect their safety, health and mental well-being.

At the time of purchase, Patricia did not notice any visible problems with the house. As her communication with the owner increased, she was convinced that she had chosen a good quality house. However, as time passed by, she realized that something was wrong. Problems were fixed only superficially and Patricia soon realized that the cracking of the walls depicted a different story about the true condition of her home.  

“The walls were made of brick and cement, with a cement coating both inside and out. In fact, the layer that was peeling off was quite thick—about four inches deep on both sides, in addition to the brick,” she recounted. Immense heat soon hit her house, a heat so intense that not even the two window air conditioners could counteract it. What Patricia once believed to be a pleasant home soon became an uninhabitable nightmare. 

Made of pure concrete and brick—not standard construction material in the United States—the conditions of the home were unpredictable. Concrete walls are known to have high thermal mass and release extreme heat absorbed during the day well into the night (Amos-Abanyie et al., 2023). They also have high persistent humidity and are better suited for places with cold climates; the exact opposite of Laredo. 

To counter significant heat absorption in houses made of concrete, trees or shading devices can block direct sunlight and help cool the indoor environment. Effective shading of east and west-facing surfaces is of utmost importance for homes in regions with low latitudes and warm climates like Laredo (Building America Solution Center, 2023). However, there are no trees or divisions between the sun and Patricia’s house. 

Through a bewildering process that unraveled before her very eyes, the material of the walls started dissolving, becoming dust-like, creating see-through holes on the walls pushing outwards, creating the illusion that she was living outdoors. The humidity of the walls only accelerated the process, adding to a musty smell throughout. 

Worsening conditions forced Patricia and her daughter to inhabit only one bedroom as the ceiling started to cave. “I would walk around the house, constantly checking to make sure nothing would fall or that the house wouldn’t collapse on my daughter and me.”

Health problems soon set in. Patricia and her daughter began to experience flu-like symptoms -  coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, and constant headaches. “Every night we were sick; we were coughing, we felt like we had the flu,” Patricia stated. Studies show that humidity has been linked to respiratory conditions such as hypersensitivity, pneumonia, and rhinosinusitis (Choi et al., 2020; CDC, 2012). 

Extreme heat results in nearly 1,400 additional deaths per year in the United States (CDC, 2024; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NIH], 2022). Heat-related illnesses are caused by prolonged hours outdoors and living in buildings that reach above 90°F. Prolonged exposure to 90°F indoors, combined with high humidity, can cause heat stress or discomfort (LaNore, 2021; National Integrated Heat Health Information System [NIHHIS]). Without adequate shading, ventilation, and cooling, residents like Patricia live in hardship and unsafe conditions.  

The deterioration of the house, as she sees it, occurred at such a rapid pace that it was impossible for Patricia to pay for the repairs as she was living paycheck to paycheck. She had no choice but to leave her home. At one point,  she even thought that a wall could fall on her. This mother and her daughter felt isolated throughout their ordeal, and received minimal help from the city and property owner. 

Patricia recognizes that her priority is to find a new home that offers natural shade to protect the walls of her home and reduce electricity costs by keeping the house cooler. Just like Patricia’s story, many impoverished Laredo families are affected by the lack of shade and intensifying heat. They suffer in silence as their houses can no longer be called a home.