HOUSING

Brownsville Housing Authority www.hacb.us atrejo@hacb.us

2606 Boca Chica Blvd.

Brownsville, TX 78521

(956) 541-8315

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:00am-5:30pm. Fri. 8:00am-12:00pm

The Housing Authority of Brownsville serves low-income families and provides access to affordable, quality housing, and self-sufficiency through education. They provide three types of housing assistance: public housing, Section 8 voucher, and Homeownership voucher programs.

The HUD Public Housing assistance program provides decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families and individuals. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from single-family houses to high-rise apartments for elderly families. Eligibility is determined by the local public housing agency (PHA). Eligibility is based on:

• Annual gross income (income limits)

• Whether the applicant qualifies as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family

• U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status

The Section 8 housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments.

Eligibility for a housing voucher is determined by the PHA based on:

▪ Total annual gross income

▪ Family size

▪ U.S. citizenship and or eligible immigration status

▪ Family income, which may not exceed 50% of the median income for the county. Median income levels are published by HUD and vary by location. The PHA serving your community can provide you with the income limits for your area and family size.

To apply, submit your online application through the application web portal at www.hacb.us

For more information, call (956) 214-1510 or submit your questions via email at clientservices@hacb.us.

The Homeownership Voucher Program provides families with vouchers for first-time homeowners to meet monthly mortgage expenses.

Eligibility requirements include:

▪ Must be a first-time homeowner or cooperative member

▪ No family member has owned or had an ownership interest in their residence for at least three years

▪ Credit score of 680 points or above or determined by lender/mortgage company

▪ Minimum income requirement - Except in the case of disabled families, the qualified annual income of the adult family members who will own the home must not be less than the Federal minimum hourly wage multiplied by 2,000 hours. For disabled families, the qualified annual income of the adult family members who will own the home must not be less than the monthly Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit for an individual living alone multiplied by 12. The PHA may also establish a higher minimum income requirement for either or both types of families. Except in the case of an elderly or disabled family, welfare assistance is not counted in determining whether the family meets the minimum income requirement.

▪ Employment requirement- Except in the case of elderly and disabled families, one or more adults in the family who will own the home is currently employed on a full-time basis and has been continuously employed on a full-time basis for at least one year before the commencement of homeownership assistance

▪ Homeownership counseling - applicants must attend and satisfactorily complete the PHA’s pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling program

▪ Must be receiving subsidy assistance thru the Brownsville Housing Authority Section 8 Program

▪ Must meet Financial Institution Eligibility Requirements for a mortgage

▪ Any additional PHA eligibility requirements

For more information on Homeownership program, contact Cesar Barrera – Home Ownership Specialist at (956) 214-1525 or via email cbarrera@hacb.us

For more information on ongoing events, visit the Housing Authority of Brownsville Facebook page https://www.Facebook.com/HACB1.

Catholic Charities of the RGV www.catholiccharitiesrgv.org

955 W. Price Rd. Brownsville, TX 78520 (956) 541-0220

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:00am -5:00pm, Fri 8:00am – 12:00pm

The Catholic Charities of the RGV Emergency Assistance Program provides short-term utility assistance, hotel/motel vouchers to assist with temporary shelter for the homeless, medical needs vouchers, and medical consultation and prescription assistance for those in need.

For more information, call the office or visit the Catholic Charities Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Catholic-Charities-of-the-Rio-Grande-Valley-155063511172204/.

Come Dream Come Build www.cdcb.org

901 E. Levee St. Brownsville, TX 78520 (956) 548-2302 info@youthbuild.org

Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am -5:30pm

Come Dream Come Build (CDCB) provides homeownership services, mortgage assistance, financial literacy information, and coaching. CDCB is a multifaceted affordable housing organization devoted to utilizing collaborative partnerships to create sustainable communities across the Rio Grande Valley through quality education, model financing, efficient home design, and superior construction.

For more information and to apply, visit the Come Dream Come Build website at www.cdcb.org.

For more information on ongoing events, visit the Facebook page at https://www.Facebook.com/cdcbcomedreamcomebuild.

Friendship of Women, Inc. http://www.fowinc.com/ 95 E. Price Rd. Suite C Brownsville, TX 78523 (956) 544-7412 info@fowinc.com

The Friendship of Women serves men, women, and children impacted by family and sexual violence. All survivor services are free and confidential. Friendship of Women provides comprehensive services such as:

▪ Emergency shelter

▪ Crisis intervention

▪ Legal advocacy to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families

Survivors may obtain individual and group therapy after a counselor determines what type of counseling services would be most beneficial. Counseling for adults and children is available free of charge at our Emergency Shelter and at our Community Outreach Center. Counseling services at Friendship of Women, Inc. are tailored to meet a survivor’s needs. Our clinical team is made up of two bilingual Licensed Professional Counselors with more than 25 years of combined experience working with survivors of family violence and sexual assault/childhood abuse.

For more information, call the office or visit the FOW website and social media pages at https://www.facebook.com/Friendship.of.Women/ and https://twitter.com/fowinc.

Family Crisis Center www.familycrisisctr.org

616 W. Taylor Ave. Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 423-9304

24-hour hotline (866)423-9304 contactfcc@familycrisisctr.org

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:00am -5:30pm, Fri 8:30am -3:30pm

Family Crisis Center, Inc. is a domestic violence and rape crisis center that provides services to victims and their families. All survivor services are free and confidential. Services include:

▪ 24-hour hotline

▪ Emergency shelter

▪ Legal advocacy

▪ Peer support

▪ Crisis intervention

▪ Emergency transportation

▪ Counseling

For more information, call the office or visit the Family Crisis Center website and social media pages at https://www.Facebook.com/familycrisisctr.cameron.willacy/.

Loaves and Fishes https://www.lfrgv.org

514 S. E Street Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 423-1014 office@lfrgv.org

Office Hours: Mon-Fri. 8:00am - 5:00pm

Loaves & Fishes offers help and hope to the community through the following services: temporary residence and assistance for homeless individuals, job search, rental and utility assistance, food and nutrition, and mental health services and counseling.

The Open Arms Homeless Shelter provides temporary residence and assistance for homeless individuals and families. The shelter does not discriminate against race, ethnicity, gender, or religion. Every shelter resident is required to complete an intake application, so they are encouraged to bring their identification and any documentation.

Family Emergency Assistance provides short-term assistance to families in need. The program helps with:

▪ Rent or utilities

▪ Case management

▪ Food bags

For more information, visit the Loaves and Fishes Facebook page at https://www.Facebook.com/LoavesandFishesRGV.

Mujeres Unidas / Women Together www.mujeresunidas.org

511 N. Cynthia St. McAllen, Texas 78501

956-630-4878

24/7 Crisis Hotline 800-580-4879 WTVolunteer_Events@yahoo.com

Mujeres Unidas, provides counseling for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Survivors are able to learn about the dynamics of domestic violence and sexual assault, and safety planning. Mujeres Unidas is the only agency which provides Emergency Shelter and Support Services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Hidalgo County. Support services include:

▪ Crisis intervention counseling

▪ Safety planning

▪ Trauma informed counseling

▪ Legal advocacy (accompaniment to law enforcement offices and court hearings)

▪ Transitional housing

▪ Hospital accompaniment for survivors of a sexual assault

For more information, visit the Loaves and Fishes Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/mujeres.unidas.94.

Ozanam Center www.ozanambrownsvillecenter.org

656 N. Minnesota Ave. Brownsville, TX 78521

(956) 831-6331

Office Hours: Open 24 hours 7 days a week.

The Ozanam Center provides temporary emergency housing, referral to social work services, and clothing to individuals and families experiencing homlessness. The Ozanam Center is an emergency shelter facility that provides temporary shelter (30 days) and other immediate needs to the homeless in the area regardless of their sex, color, creed, national origin, or any other determination.

The Ozanam Center provides:

▪ Case management

▪ Three basic meals daily

▪ Clothes, showers

▪ After-school tutoring

▪ Food pantry program

▪ Rapid re-housing program

▪ Rental assistance

Meals are provided at the following times:

▪ Breakfast: 7:30 am.- 8:30 am

▪ Lunch: 11:30 am.- 12:30 pm.

▪ Dinner: 4:30 pm.- 5:30pm

For more information, call the office at (956) 831-6331.

TSC is committed to ACCESS reaching out to our diverse communities, expanding linkages with industry, and strengthening our partnerships with area ISDs and universities to create accessible and affordable educational pathways for our students, faculty, and staff.