OTTUMWA, Iowa — Home is where the heart is, and in Ottumwa, more and more residents are choosing to call the small city home.
On Main Street, you'll find Himar Hernandez, a representative of Ottumwa's League of United Latin American Citizens.
Hernandez says the Ottumwa of today is different than it was 50 years ago.
"In the case of Ottumwa, I would describe—and this is Himar's description—it was a neglected community," Hernandez said.
Hernandez credits the Latino community for the turnaround. Latino families started settling into this cozy part of southeast Iowa about 30 years ago, establishing a new workforce and a blueprint for the city's future.
"We started gaining populations, especially with Latinos and other refugee groups and immigrant groups as well," Hernandez said. "And that has changed demographics, you know, in Ottumwa, in terms of we went from decades of losing population to now gaining population."
Wapello County's population ranks 86th out of Iowa's 99 counties.
However, the census shows over 11% of the people who live in the county are Latino.
"Wapello County was, at one point, the highest, the fastest growing county in the United States in terms of percentage of Latino population," Hernandez said.
Latinos are moving here partly because they are able to buy their own homes. 78% of Wapello County's Latino residents own their own homes. That's well over the state average of 54% Latino home ownership.
So what is Wapello County doing right? One homeowner says it's all about inclusivity and opportunity.
"When I arrived at Ottumwa, I arrived with some of my mom's friends because we didn't have anything," said homeowner Araseli Santos. "They welcomed us very well, they helped us. A lot of work opportunities. There is also a lot of diversity. There are a lot of Latinos here from various countries."
As the community grows, so do the programs informing residents about the home-buying process.
"We've done educational classes, a lot of financial classes about what is to buy a home," Hernandez said. "We're just having a conversation about credit. Most of our immigrants come without a history of credit. And so, there's a lot of programs that we have here locally to help you establish your credit."
It's not just acceptance, culture and community that make Santos proud to live in Ottumwa.
"That's what I'm the most proud of, because my little house is mine," Santos said. "It's my property and my family's. And it's beautiful."
She's living the American dream by turning her pursuit of a better life into a cherished reality.