Mount Vernon ESU Cop Suprised With New Home

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Congrats Officer Valdez!

Police officer and wife surprised with new home

By DESIREE GRAND

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: January 8, 2007)

MOUNT VERNON

Matthew Valdez was supposed to go the Jets game. Instead the Mount Vernon police officer was called in to work. His captain explained that he was very sorry but there was a situation at a home in a south-side neighborhood.

As a member of the department's Emergency Services Unit, Valdez was not sure what he would encounter. What he found left the Iraq war veteran speechless.

There was his wife, 6-month-old daughter, other relatives and department members, all in front of his new home. Also present was a camera crew from HomeTeam, a nationally syndicated television program that makes it possible for families to own their first homes.

"When I saw everyone there, I pieced it together. I can't believe this is our house," Valdez said. "I was blown away."

The couple had been looking for a home for seven months with very little luck. Even when the mayor's chief of staff, John DiBlasi, entered their name in the HomeTeam program, they still thought their chances were slim.

When they were selected as finalists for the program, they still didn't think they had a shot, said Stephanie Valdez. She was also tricked into coming to her new home by relatives who said they were taking her on a shopping trip.

"I didn't think this was going to happen," she said. "Things like this only happen to other people. But this is amazing. We would have never been able to get this. Now we have a place where our family can grow."

The program takes care of the first year's mortgage costs, up to 10 percent of the down payment and 5 percent of the closing costs. The home comes furnished, and the friends and family visit the house to add personal touches before the family arrives. Applications are submitted through the show's Web site.

Selecting which family will receive the home is difficult, said Enae Boone, vice president of production for HomeTeam.

Boone said Valdez's story made him unique. As a member of the National Guard, the seven-year police veteran responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Shortly after that, he re-enlisted in the National Guard. The Valdez wedding had to be postponed when Matthew was deployed to Iraq.

Within a few weeks of his arrival in Iraq, his unit was attacked and he lost close unit members.

When he returned home from Iraq, the couple moved to a small apartment in Brooklyn. Valdez's daily commute to Mount Vernon kept him from spending time with his daughter. "Now he will be able to spend more time with his family," Boone said.

The program, with the help of family and friends, finds a home in the area where the family is already looking. It airs across the country every other week.

Both Matthew and Stephanie Valdez were overcome with gratitude for all that made their home possible.

"I have a home for my family," said Matthew Valdez. "I have a place where my daughter can grow and a yard for my dog. This is a great thing. I can't wait to move in. I'm still in shock."

HomeTeam airs on WABC. The Valdez episode is scheduled for the week of Feb. 5. Check local listings for show times.

For more information about the show, visit www.hometeam.com.