Last July, Hidden Valley / High Meadows (mobile home) residents became distressed when lot rents for people on month-to-month leases were raised for the second time within a 12-month period.  New rules mandated improvements and standardizations — adding new costs to residents — including deck and railing upgrades, paint jobs, skirting repair, shed standardization, color control and control over inside window coverings visible from the street.  Families were also asked to demonstrate possession of a drivers' license to drive on the property, impacting hundreds of residents. Many families scrambled to comply; some left.   

Residents reached out to Austin Interfaith and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) for support and within two months founded their association (Hidden Valley / High Meadows Residents' Association) and signed up over 200 households as members.  

On December 10, the HVHMRA signed a historic accord with their landlord, Scott Roberts of Roberts Communities, locking  in many protections, including the:

• Right to organize residents' associations that represent the interests of mobile home park residents.
• First rent control concession in a mobile home park of Austin, locking in no more than 5% increases through 2017 and rent increase caps in subsequent years.
• Protections for undocumented immigrant residents.  

Minutes before the item came up for discussion, Austin Interfaith leaders shepherded the signing of this agreement between HVHMRA officers and landlord Scott Roberts.  

Through the establishment of a 'mobile home regime', or framework for landlord-resident relations, this important victory sets an unprecedented standard, ensuring that land use decisions on mobile home parks protect the quality of life for existing residents.  

Mobile Home Community Says Affordability Agreement Will Provide New Protection, KXAN

Proprietarios de Casas Móviles Celebran Victoria, Telemundo

City Council: Keep 'Em Waiting, Austin Chronicle 

Mobile Home Rezoning Wins Praise From All Sides, Austin Monitor [pdf]

Mobile Home Park Stokes Hopes and Fears, Austin Monitor [pdf]

Dear Readers,

I am Minister Sandy D. Jones from Mount Olive Baptist Church, a member and supporter of Austin Interfaith.  I learned about what Austin Interfaith has been doing for education and child & youth development through the work of volunteers and leaders from congregations all over our growing city.  Our city is a very multicultural city that needs to provide an education that will reach each and all these cultures of children and adults for productive families and lifestyles.  This will bring peace and prosperity for our schools, communities, cities and state as a whole.

I took an interest in this work in thinking about my grandchildren’s education.  I myself was raised in the south, the state of Alabama, during segregation where we as a black race did not have the privileges that others had.  After over 40 years we can still see the same effect of our kids not having the privileges of others because of their race, and their neighborhoods.  

I sincerely believe that child, and youth development programs are necessarily important to our education system in educating our children and parents. We have a very large number of our children being raised by their grandparents, as I myself was, and often the grandparent themselves do not have a high school diploma.  The child & youth developments programs serve to help educate where the grandparents, parents, and single parents do not have the time, due to working long hours and working two jobs in some cases to meet financial needs, or the education to help with homework that they themselves do not understand. It also helps the parent with their own education when they come and sit in and learn with their child in these development programs, helping with homework and reading. The programs help with structure, create habits in studying, reading, and promote self-esteem.  Austin Interfaith makes these things possible.  

It’s a real need I myself had years ago.  If someone would have asked me what was my biggest problem I had about learning, my answer would have been -- then and today -- to have some place and some one to help me with my homework, and reading so I could be the best I could be and to make better choices for my life and future.

The children we support and serve through the child & development programs are our future generation of doctors, lawyers, judges, bankers, city councilmembers, governors, and more.  

We ask you, our general public, to help and support Austin Interfaith with your generous financial donation, so that we may continue to serve the need that is so needed, through continued advocacy for investments in development programs like Primetime, Victory Tutorial Project, Summer Youth Employment and Capital IDEA.

May God Bless You For Your Donations.

Minister Sandy D. Jones

Mount Olive Baptist Church

1800 E. 11th Street

Austin, Texas  78702

Mayor Steve Adler and Council members Greg Casar, Ann Kitchen and Leslie Pool celebrated the passage of what Austin Interfaith leader Rabbi Alan Freedman called a "living budget" alongside organization leadership the day after it passed.

As a result of much public action and collaboration, the City of Austin will now pay their workers an increased living wage of $13.03 per hour (up from $11.39) and for the first time will include temporary AND contracted workers in that wage standard.  Workers employed for at least 12 months will additionally qualify for healthcare benefits.  (Employees of private corporations receiving public subsidies will also benefit from the wage increase.)

Austin Interfaith furthermore celebrated additional wins in areas impacting workers, children and families:

• $350K in increased investment to expand access to long-term job training program Capital IDEA by 70 slots,
• $3 million in added investments in parks, pools and libraries,
• $684K for AISD parents support specialists,
• $520K for Primetime after-school programming, and
• $1.6 Million for property tax breaks for seniors and disabled homeowners. 

Setting an Example, Austin Chronicle

Council Wrap Up: Unpacking Council's Brand New Budget, Austin Chronicle

Point Austin: A Living Budget, Austin Chronicle

Lideres de Austin Celebran Aprobacion de Presupuesto, Telemundo

Why Public Health, Social Service Funding Surged in the Austin Budget, Austin American Statesman [pdf]