The Civil War removed the slavery issue because the Southern states had seceded from the Union. To apply for a Homestead Exemption, you must submit the following to the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD):.Gregory, an abolitionist, interpreted his chief goal in the state as establishing a free labor system for the former slaves. Accumulating land in Texas was no small feat for the formerly enslaved. GENERAL INFORMATION: Property owners applying for a residence homestead exemption file this form and supporting documentation with the appraisal district in. The homestead act helped americans buy their way into the american dream and independently build up wealth through land ownership. What if I miss the filing deadline? Man unknowingly buys former plantation house where his ancestors were enslaved. 14M views 2 years ago Mike Snyder of the Houston Chronicle said that it was "perhaps" the first school for freed slaves in the State of Texas.