Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Colonias Grant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County hearing: colonia rehab update, grant request reported to court
Summary
At a public hearing, nonprofit Come Dream, Come Build updated commissioners on TDHCA-funded colonia rehabs and tool-lending efforts and said staff will return Aug. 19 with details. Staff and commissioners pressed for clarity on whether aid is loans or grants and how the $900,000 award will be spent.
Dustin Bridal of Come Dream, Come Build told the Nueces County Commissioners Court on Aug. 5 that the program has completed its technology-access work and has started three of five major rehabilitation projects in Robstown. "We've completed the technology access portion of the grant," Bridal said, adding that "we've started 3 of the 5 major rehab projects out in Robstown" and that work is progressing with invoices already received.
A second presenter identified in the record as Scott said the group is pursuing additional funding and outlined program components the money would support. "We're seeking another award of a $108,190,000 dollars to continue with the tool lending library, the IT part of it, and the rehab," he said. Scott also told the court TDHCA suggested staying in a colonia already vetted for environmental and historic concerns, and that the group will bring a resolution and budget attachments back to court in August.
Commissioners pressed staff to clarify how much aid is grant-funded versus loan-based and how residents will apply. Bridal said the Colonial Self Help Center grant is "free money," while the nonprofit's in-house program typically offers low-interest loans and that the first $10,000 of financing can be at 0% for qualifying households. "We do offer a low interest rate loan for home repair that's accessible to anybody," Bridal said, noting many programs are income-based and some grants (for example, a recent fortified-roofing award) can provide up to $15,000.
The court directed staff to return to the Aug. 19 meeting with detailed statistics, a spending breakdown for the roughly $900,000 award mentioned in the discussion, and clear materials to explain to residents whether repairs will be loans or grants. "Dustin, we'll get you some stats and data to show you where we've come from, what we've done, and where we're at," a commissioner said.
Why it matters: The TDHCA Colonial Self Help Center funding supports housing repairs in colonias — low-income, often unincorporated neighborhoods — and the court's decisions about program scope, outreach and whether to seek additional awards could shape which households receive repairs and under what terms.
