Linden, Texas, is a rural community of just over 1,800 people and the county seat of Cass County. There, two relatives received home repairs that did more than fix a roof — they restored a sense of stability, security, and hope.
Lutreasa Jackson and her nephew Bruce Jackson have spent most of their lives in a close-knit neighborhood within Linden, where generations of their family lived just steps apart. The homes they inherited carry memories — but also the wear and tear of time: years of storms, aging materials, and limited resources. Like many in Linden, where nearly 28% of residents live below the poverty line and more than half of renters spend over 40% of their income on housing, keeping up with major repairs felt out of reach.

That changed with a simple piece of paper left on their front doors.
It was a flyer about a program offered through Communities Unlimited (CU). CU Community Housing Technician Kamilah Tatum had been working in the area in partnership with City Hall, informing residents about the organization’s Fortified Roof Program — an initiative funded through a $465,000 grant from Simmons Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. CU serves as the intermediary for the program, helping eligible homeowners access the funding and manage the repair process. The program offers up to $15,000 in assistance to qualifying homeowners to install fortified roofs designed to withstand the region’s increasingly unpredictable storms.
Lutreasa had just returned from a substitute teaching assignment when she found the flyer.
“I got home, looked at mine, and called Bruce,” she said. “We went over the notes together, and I said, ‘Oh, we need this, you and I.’”
Her home — where she was raised and later returned to care for her ailing parents — was in poor condition. Years of rain, combined with the heavy shade of pecan trees, had rotted parts of the siding and roof. Only when the work crews began removing shingles did the full extent of the deterioration become clear.
“I didn’t realize how bad it was until they started pulling the boards off,” she said.
Bruce’s home wasn’t faring much better. Though the roof wasn’t visibly leaking, hidden damage had allowed moisture to seep into the insulation, causing mildew to spread through his kitchen ceiling and into one of the bedrooms.
“For the longest time, I didn’t realize what was going on,” he said. “I thought I was just getting old or something, but then I figured it out — I had a leaky roof. Me and my neighbor’s roof were the worst on the street. We had shingles flying off in the wind. I’m thankful someone came by who knew what to look for.”
Chris Walker, owner of Nex-Gen Power Systems & Roofing, visited Linden in April to assess 10 homes, six of which were approved for funding to get new roofs. By July 17, he and his crew began work on both Jackson homes and completed the installations just five days later, on July 21.
For Bruce, a supervisor at Chemoil — which supplies fuel to fracking companies across Texas and Louisiana — the repairs marked both a financial and emotional milestone. Constantly traveling to remote job sites, he understands the importance of having a safe, reliable place to come home to.
“My father took great pride in that house, and I’m the same way,” he said. “If you don’t have a place to lay your head, what do you have? Why am I working so hard — aching hands, sore back — if I’m not building toward something?”
Lutreasa sees the new roof as more than just home improvement. One day, she pulled into her carport and unknowingly disturbed a wasp nest tucked under the shingles.
“I popped my trunk and walked around to it, and they just attacked me,” she said.
She fell hard, cracking her elbow and injuring her hand. Alone at the time, she had to undergo occupational therapy and still deals with nerve damage.
“That’s why this new roof is such a blessing,” she said. “They don’t have anywhere now to go under the shingles and make a mess.”
The Fortified Roof Program uses roofing systems developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). These systems are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds, hail, and severe weather — conditions that are becoming increasingly common in East Texas, even though most fortified roofs remain concentrated along the coast. CU’s program, which began in Arkansas, expanded to Linden and Alto in 2025, marking its first implementation in East Texas.
For homeowners like Bruce, the program didn’t just provide peace of mind — it opened the door to future improvements.
“Now that the roof is done, I can finally fix that bedroom with the mildew,” he said. “I’m even thinking about solar panels down the road — generating my own energy, maybe helping neighbors too. This roof changed the way I think about what’s possible.”
With 70% of Linden’s homes built before 1980, aging infrastructure is the norm. Vacancy rates are nearly double the state average, and many homes sit unrepaired due to the sheer cost.
“When you’re on disability, you depend on a monthly check that’s not even what you made in two weeks. Insurance doesn’t cover enough, and people can’t make up the difference. This program makes a huge difference to people in my situation.”
— Lutreasa Jackson, Linden Fortified Roof Recipient
Bruce echoed that sentiment.
“It makes a huge difference,” he said. “I was already working on upgrading my father’s home, but this would’ve been the hardest part. I pay taxes — so where are they going? Why are my roads and roof in bad shape? Well, this program made up for it. For a program like this to come in and say, ‘Hey, we haven’t forgotten about y’all,’ that means something.”
In Linden — where the housing voucher waitlist is closed, affordable housing is scarce, and the average home sits on the market for over 120 days — programs like CU’s Fortified Roof initiative are more than timely. They’re transformative.
“I love this program. I pray it keeps going and that nothing slows y’all down because you’re doing a great service to society.”
— Bruce Jackson, Linden Fortified Roof Recipient
For the Jacksons, the impact is already felt. Their homes are drier, sturdier, and more secure. And the family legacy — housed in two modest buildings on a quiet East Texas street — is better protected than ever before.