‘You promised me a home’: Fifth Ward woman denied help while new homes rise across the street

For Shanka Baldwin, her home isn’t just a house. It’s her childhood. It’s her history. It’s where family gathered for Thanksgiving dinners and Halloween dress-ups. It’s the home her aunt left her, the same aunt who raised her in Houston’s Fifth Ward. “I’ve been here all my life,” Baldwin said. “This is all I know.” But since Hurricane Harvey tore through her neighborhood in 2017, Baldwin’s world has been upended. The storm ripped the roof off both ends of her home, leaving behind years of damage.  “I’m steady patching. I’m steady building,” she said, reflecting on how much she’s invested in keeping the house standing.