! Texas!Low!Income!Housing!Information!

! ! Service!recently!analyzed!the!conditions!of!
neighborhoods!across!the!county.!The!
analysis!revealed!a!system!of!residential!
segregation!in!which!families!and!
individuals!who!live!in!colonias!and!
similarly!impoverished!neighborhoods!
within!city!limits!face!greater!barriers!to!
opportunity!than!those!who!live!in!low?
poverty!urban!neighborhoods.!!

A"Regional"Approach"
to"the"Assessment"of"
Fair"Housing"for"
Hidalgo"County"
!
""""""

Texas!Low!Income!Housing!Information!Service!!
Table"of"Contents"
Introduction*...........................................................................................................................*4!
Spatial*Characteristics*of*Development*and*Nativity*in*Hidalgo*County*.................................*17!
Table!1:!Distribution!of!native!&!non?native!populations!among!jurisdictions!.................................!17!
Table!2:!Distribution!of!settlements!among!jurisdictions!..................................................................!18!
Table!3:!Native!born!population!of!census!block!groups!containing!settlements!.............................!18!
Map*1:*Colonias*&*Model*Subdivisions*with*percent*nonDnative*born*population*...........................*20!
AFFH*Data*Analyzed*by*Neighborhood*Tier*...........................................................................*21!
Table!4:!Establishing!Neighborhood!Tiers!..........................................................................................!21!
Map*2.*Neighborhood*Tier*by*Census*Block*Group*..........................................................................*22!
Map*3.*Neighborhood*Tier*by*Census*Tract*.....................................................................................*23!
AFFH*Data*Analysis*................................................................................................................*24!
Block*Group*Indices*...............................................................................................................*25!
Table!5:!Demographics!of!Neighborhood!Tiers!by!Census!Block!Group!............................................!25!
Table!6:!AFFH?T!Jobs!Indices!..............................................................................................................!25!
Table!7:!AFFH?T!School!Index!.............................................................................................................!26!
Map*4:*School*Quality*in*Hidalgo*County*........................................................................................*26!
Census*Tract*Indices*..............................................................................................................*27!
Table!8:!AFFH?T!Indicies!by!Neighborhood!Tier!by!Census!Tract!.......................................................!27!
Analyzing*the*Population*of*the*Neighborhood*Tiers*.............................................................*27!
Table!9:!Average!Tract!Poverty!Rate!by!Neighborhood!Tier!..............................................................!27!
Map*5:*Poverty*Rate*by*Tract*in*Hidalgo*County*.............................................................................*28!
Table!10:!White!not!Hispanic!and!Hispanic!or!Latino!populations!by!Neighborhood!Tier!.................!29!
Map*6:*White*not*Hispanic*Residents*by*Neighborhood*Tier*...........................................................*29!
Table!11:!Average!Foreign!Born!and!Limited!English!Proficient!(LEP)!by!neighborhood!tier!.............!30!
Map*7:*Foreign*Born*People*and*Neighborhood*Tiers*.....................................................................*31!
Map*8:*Limited*English*Proficient*(LEP)*and*Neighborhood*Tiers*.....................................................*32!
Table!12:!R/ECAP!areas!by!Neighborhood!Tiers!.................................................................................!33!
Map*9:*R/ECAP*areas*and*Neighborhood*Tiers*................................................................................*33!
Table!13:!Higher!Education!Attainment!by!Neighborhood!Tier!.........................................................!34!
Table!14:!Income!as!a!Percentage!of!Median!Family!Income!by!Neighborhood!Tier!........................!34!
Analyzing*Subsidized*Housing*Sites*.......................................................................................*34!
Table!15:!Subsidized!Housing!Development!Sites!by!Neighborhood!Tier!..........................................!35!
Map*10:*Subsidized*Housing*Development*Sites*by*Neighborhood*Tier*..........................................*35!
Table!16:!HCV!Locations!by!Neighborhood!Tier!in!Hidalgo!County!....................................................!36!
Table!17:!HCV!Locations!by!PHA!by!Neighborhood!Tier!....................................................................!36!
Map*11:*Housing*Choice*Vouchers*by*Public*Housing*Authority*by*Neighborhood*Tier*...................*37!
Environmental*Justice*...........................................................................................................*38!
Table!18:!Total!Environmentally!Hazardous!Sites!by!Neighborhood!Tier!..........................................!38!

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 Map*12:*Environmentally*Hazardous*Sites*in*Hidalgo*County*with*Neighborhood*Tiers*..................*39!
Data*Analysis*Beyond*the*AFFHDT*..........................................................................................*39!
Storm*Water*Drainage*Infrastructure*....................................................................................*39!
Map*13:*Colonias*and*Model*Subdivisions*Located*More*Than**mile*from*Regional*Drainage*......*40!
Map*14:*TWDB*Solution*Categories*for*Surveyed*Colonias,*Hidalgo*Precinct*1*................................*42!
Map*15:*TWDB*Solution*Categories*for*Surveyed*Colonias,*Hidalgo*Precinct*2*................................*43!
Map*16:*TWDB*Solution*Categories*for*Surveyed*Colonias,*Hidalgo*Precinct*3*................................*44!
Map*17:*TWDB*Solution*Categories*for*Surveyed*Colonias,*Hidalgo*Precinct*4*................................*45!
Map*18:*TWDBDSurveyed*Colonias*with*Standing*Water*Issues*Lasting*3*or*More*Days*..................*46!
Public*Streetlighting*..............................................................................................................*46!
Table!19:!Public!Streetlighting!Expenditures!in!Hidalgo!County!........................................................!47!
Map*19:*Satellite*view*of*McAllen,*Texas*Area*and*Colonias*...........................................................*48!
Recommendations*and*Comments*on*County*AFH*Plan*........................................................*48!
Appendix:*Table:*Opportunity*Index*for*the*Entitlement*Jurisdictions*...................................*55!
!

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"
A"Regional"Approach"to"the"Assessment"of"Fair"
Housing"for"Hidalgo"County"
Introduction"
Sitting!on!a!worn,!faded!green!couch!in!her!sunlit!living!room,!Norma!Aldape!recalls!the!painful!
aftermath!of!Hurricane!Dolly!nearly!a!decade!ago,!when!flooding!inundated!her!home!and!the!
rest!of!her!small!community!in!rural!Hidalgo!County,!Texas.!
!
Aldape,!a!41EyearEold!mother!who!speaks!with!a!soft!yet!determined!demeanor,!has!lived!in!
Olivarez!Acres!for!the!past!14!years!with!her!husband!and!six!children.!This!humble!residential!
neighborhood!lies!about!8!miles!outside!of!Mercedes,!Texas,!and!like!many!other!lowEincome!
communities!beyond!municipal!boundaries,!it!lacks!critical!infrastructure.!At!the!time!of!the!
hurricane,!it!had!no!drainage!system.!
!
We!were!underwater!for!three!weeks,!Aldape!says!in!Spanish!as!family!members!amble!
across!a!hallway!stacked!with!boxes!and!childrens!toys!behind!her.!The!water!didnt!drain!on!
its!own.!They!had!to!come!with![tanker!trucks]!to!take!out!the!water.!!
!
To!make!matters!worse,!sewage!from!overflowing!septic!tanks!saturated!the!stagnant!
floodwaters.!With!a!pair!of!infant!twins!born!prematurely!just!a!year!earlier,!Aldape!knew!it!
wouldnt!be!safe!to!stay.!
!
Thats!unhealthy!for!everyone,!she!says.!There!wasnt!anything!for!my!children.!
!
She!found!refuge!for!her!family!with!relatives!nearby,!but!the!damage!to!her!home,!which!her!
husband!built!with!his!own!hands,!was!severe.!In!the!absence!of!government!assistance!and!
with!limited!income,!the!family!was!faced!with!rebuilding!their!home!little!by!little.!And!Hurricane!
Dolly!wasnt!the!last!time!they!saw!flooding.!
!
Since![the!hurricane],!weve!been!suffering!from!floods,!Aldape!says.!And!not!just!with!
hurricanes!but!also!when!theres!just!enough!rain.!
!
Aldape!is!not!alone!in!her!plight.!Her!story!is!a!glimpse!into!the!distressing!reality!of!life!in!the!
colonias!of!Texas,!where!hundreds!of!thousands!of!mostly!lowEincome!Latinos!live!in!
substandard!and!isolating!conditions!along!the!U.S.EMexico!border.!
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ALL!ALONG!THE!U.S.?MEXICO!BORDER,!HUNDREDS!OF!THOUSANDS!OF!MOSTLY!LOW?INCOME!LATINOS!LIVE!IN!COLONIAS!
THAT!LACK!BASIC!INFRASTRUCTURE!AND!SERVICES.!PHOTO!BY!JOHN!HENNEBERGER,!2013.!
!
Though!colonia!simply!means!neighborhood!in!Spanish,!the!term!is!used!to!describe!
unincorporated,!makeshift!communities!that!frequently!lack!the!basic!infrastructure!available!in!
cities,!including!adequate!drainage!and!sewage!systems,!public!lighting,!paved!roads,!and!safe!
housing.!Olivarez!Acres!is!just!one!of!about!2,300!colonias!in!Texas,!which!has!the!largest!
colonia!population!of!any!state.!In!Hidalgo!County!alone,!there!are!about!850!colonias.!!
!
To!take!a!closer!look!at!fair!housing!issues!in!Hidalgo!County,!Texas!Low!Income!Housing!
Information!Service,!also!known!as!Texas!Housers,!recently!analyzed!the!conditions!of!
neighborhoods!across!the!county.!The!analysis!revealed!a!system!of!residential!segregation!in!
which!families!and!individuals!who!live!in!colonias!and!similarly!impoverished!neighborhoods!
within!city!limits!face!greater!barriers!to!opportunity!than!those!who!live!in!lowEpoverty!urban!
neighborhoods.!!
!
Colonia!residents!in!particular!are!often!cut!off!from!public!services,!facilities,!and!benefits!that!
allow!individuals!and!families!to!thrive.!They!live!far!from!jobs!and!in!areas!vulnerable!to!natural!
and!manmade!hazards.!Poverty,!isolation,!and!language!barriers,!combined!with!a!lack!of!
affordable!housing!options!in!cities,!further!deprive!colonia!residents!of!equal!access!to!
opportunity.!
!
The!analysis!also!found!that!lowEpoverty,!highEopportunity!neighborhoods!tend!to!have!larger!
white!populations!than!poor!areas!both!in!and!outside!of!cities.!
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The!Civil!Rights!Act!of!1964!and!the!Fair!Housing!Act!of!1968!were!meant!to!break!down!the!
walls!of!segregation!and!to!create!truly!integrated!living!environments.!As!Texas!Housers!
analysis!shows,!that!objective!has!yet!to!be!achieved!in!Hidalgo!County.!But!a!2015!rule!from!
the!U.S.!Department!of!Housing!and!Urban!Development!(HUD)!may!provide!a!way!to!advance!
housing!equality!in!the!county.!
!
The!Affirmatively!Furthering!Fair!Housing!rule!is!the!federal!governments!latest!effort!to!
address!segregation!and!promote!fair!housing!choice.!Under!the!rule,!local!governments!and!
housing!authorities!that!receive!HUD!funding,!which!includes!those!in!Hidalgo!County,!are!
required!to!identify!and!address!patterns!of!segregation!and!disparities!in!access!to!opportunity.!
As!Hidalgo!County!is!currently!drafting!its!Assessment!of!Fair!Housing!plan,!county!residents!
have!the!chance!to!weigh!in!and!demand!that!their!local!officials!take!meaningful!actions!to!
overcome!segregation!and!inequality.!
!
Inequality!in!the!Rio!Grande!Valley!is!not!a!new!phenomenon.!It!can!be!traced!back!to!an!era!
when!Anglo!Texans!brazenly!instituted!discriminatory!practices!and!policies!to!exclude!
Mexicans!from!white!neighborhoods,!public!services,!and!civic!life.!Today,!the!Rio!Grande!
Valley!occupies!a!unique!position!when!it!comes!to!matters!of!civil!rights!and!fair!housing.!
Unlike!in!other!areas!of!the!country,!discrimination!and!segregation!are!not!as!obvious!as!whiteE
versusEbrown.!The!current!political!leadership!in!Hidalgo!County!is!predominantly!Mexican!
American,!and!the!vast!majority!of!the!regions!population!identifies!as!Hispanic.!Yet!
discrimination!persists!in!the!county!and!throughout!the!Rio!Grande!Valley,!where!many!
residents!!principally!poor!immigrants!with!limited!English!proficiency!and!their!families!
!remain!victims!of!a!separate!and!unequal!system!of!residential!segregation!with!roots!more!
than!a!century!old.!
!
***!
!
Discrimination,!segregation,!and!violence!committed!by!Anglos!against!people!of!Mexican!origin!
has!been!a!part!of!the!Rio!Grande!Valleys!story!ever!since!the!United!States!seized!the!
territory!in!the!MexicanEAmerican!War.!Throughout!the!latter!half!of!the!19th!century,!white!
Americans!!especially!in!the!form!of!the!Texas!Rangers!and!vigilante!posses!!subjugated!
Mexicans!in!the!new!U.S.!territory!through!acts!of!terror!and!twisted!frontier!justice.!
!
There!were!a!lot!of!lynchings,!Jennifer!R.!Njera,!associate!professor!of!ethnic!studies!at!the!
University!of!CaliforniaRiverside,!told!Texas!Housers.!This!was!really!just!to!establish!
dominance,!in!the!sense!that,!There!is!a!new!system,!a!new!racial!order,!and!Anglos!are!going!
to!be!on!the!top!of!that!order.!
!
In!her!book,!The*Borderlands*of*Race:*Mexican*Segregation*in*a*South*Texas*Town,!Njera!
describes!the!Texas!Rangers!as!a!sort!of!frontier!police!force!in!Texas.!But,!she!writes,!as!
borderlands!historians!have!noted,!rather!than!apply!the!law!objectively,!the!Rangers!
effectively!promoted!the!interests!of!Anglo!Texas!to!acquire!land!and!power.!Even!though!
international!law!granted!citizenship!to!Mexicans!in!the!new!territory,!Njera!argues,!the!
prevalence!of!antiEMexican!violence!relegated!them!to!secondEclassEcitizen!status.!
!
Such!tactics!helped!set!the!stage!for!what!came!in!the!early!20th!century,!when!segregation!as!
we!think!of!it!today!really!began!to!take!hold!in!the!Rio!Grande!Valley.!The!arrival!of!the!railroad!
to!the!Valley!brought!an!influx!of!Anglo!farmers!and!land!speculators!from!across!the!United!
States!and!set!in!motion!the!regions!transformation!from!a!ranching!economy!to!an!agricultural!
economy.!And!in!this!new!economy,!Anglos!would!be!the!farmers!and!Mexicans!their!laborers.!

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These!werent!small!family!farms,!either,!said!John!Morn!Gonzlez,!director!of!the!Center!for!
MexicanEAmerican!Studies!at!the!University!of!Texas!at!Austin.!It!was!a!managerial!
agribusiness!model!where!they!weren't!there!to!farm!the!land.!They!were!there!to!get!rich!
managing!cheap!labor.!
!
Tejano!ranchers!already!dispossessed!of!their!land!and!a!steady!flow!of!Mexican!immigrants!
represented!a!large!and!inexpensive!labor!force!that!the!new!white!elites!could!exploit.!A!
racialized!division!of!labor!had!formed.!
!
However,!Njera!argues,!this!division!of!labor!wasnt!enough!to!sustain!a!system!of!
segregation.!It!also!required,!in!part,!widespread!negative!racial!attitudes!about!Mexicans!and!
local!customs!that!enacted!those!attitudes!in!the!form!of!segregation.!Whites!from!the!East!
Coast,!Southeast,!and!Midwest!were!already!accustomed!to!segregation!in!their!home!states.!
So!when!they!arrived!in!the!Valley,!Njera!said,!they!sought!to!figure!out!where!to!place!
Mexicans!in!the!racial!hierarchy.!Legally,!Mexicans!were!considered!white.!But!on!the!ground,!
it!was!a!more!complex!matter.!Some!people!of!Mexican!origin!!mainly!those!with!more!
wealth,!education,!and!Anglo!cultural!fluency!!were!able!to!make!partial!claims!to!whiteness!
and!the!privileges!that!held.!But!Anglos!tended!to!view!the!majority!of!Mexicans!as!nonwhite!
and!thus!inferior.!
!
They!were!bringing!their!ideas!about!segregation!with!them!to!the!region,!Njera!said!in!a!
phone!interview.!So,!the!migration!of!people!comes!with!the!migration!of!ideas!and!social!
norms,!which!happened!to!be!racist.!
!
In!the!cities!that!formed!along!the!railroads,!segregation!was!a!clear!as!the!tracks!that!divided!
them.!The!line!was!enforced!by!signs!on!businesses!reading!No!Mexicans!Allowed!and!
Whites!Only.!It!was!supported!by!both!authorities!and!individuals!who!barred!Mexicans!from!
using!certain!public!restrooms,!hospitals,!schools,!restaurants,!hotels,!and!other!public!and!
private!establishments.!And!segregation!was!formalized!in!the!policies!of!many!real!estate!
companies.!The!McAllen!Real!Estate!Board!and!Delta!Development!Company,!for!example,!
refused!to!sell!property!to!Mexicans!in!the!white!part!of!town.!
!
[Cities!in!the!Rio!Grande!Valley]!were!actually!planned!so!that!there's!a!separate!Mexican!
neighborhood,!usually!on!the!other!side!of!the!tracks!from!from!the!white!neighborhood,!Njera!
said.!On!the!Anglo!side!of!town,!you'll!have!larger!lots.!You'll!have!more!infrastructure,!
sidewalks,!parks,!schools,!City!Hall,!and!the!mainEstreet!kinds!of!businesses!!everything!that!
has!to!do!with!the!public!life!of!a!city!usually!happens!on!the!Anglo!side!of!town.!The!Mexican!
side!of!towns,!she!said,!were!more!like!shanty!towns.!They!were!very!cramped.!They!often!
experienced!flooding!when!there!were!rains.!They!were!the!last!to!get!indoor!plumbing!and!
sidewalks!and!those!kinds!of!things.!It!was!a!really!unequal!structure.!
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M EXICAN!RESIDENCES!IN! S AN! J UAN , ! T EXAS , ! 1939. ! P HOTO!BY! R USSELL! L EE .!

Another!factor!that!reinforced!segregation!and!further!isolated!Mexican!communities!was!the!
establishment!of!the!Border!Patrol!in!1924.!Though!officers!were!charged!with!enforcing!civil!
laws,!Njera!writes!in!her!book!that!they!took!a!more!aggressive!approach,!one!that!resembled!
the!pursuit!of!criminals:!Border!Patrol!officers!would!practice!racial!profiling,!interrogating!
Mexican!laborers!on!roads!and!in!towns!as!well!as!conducting!sweeps!to!apprehend!suspected!
illegals.!In!her!research!on!the!town!of!La!Feria,!she!found!that!even!U.S.!citizens!of!Mexican!
origin!would!flee!the!Border!Patrol!agents!for!fear!of!deportation.!
!
Following!World!War!II,!the!regime!of!strict!segregation!in!the!Rio!Grande!Valley!!imposed!
through!racial!violence!and!discriminatory!attitudes,!practices,!and!policies!!began!to!weaken.!
While!many!whites!still!supported!segregation,!schools!and!other!institutions!were!starting!to!
integrate,!though!often!with!the!goal!of!assimilating!Mexican!Americans!into!Anglo!culture.!At!
the!same!time,!Mexican!Americans!who!had!fought!in!the!war!were!returning!home!with!a!
degree!of!economic!stability!granted!by!the!GI!Bill.!But!as!Njera!pointed!out!to!Texas!Housers,!
that!just!creates!this!class!of!Mexican!Americans!who!are!sort!of!exceptions!to!the!rule!of!
segregation.!
!
The!postEwar!period!was!also!when!the!concept!of!colonias!emerged.!Long!before!the!term!
colonia!was!coined,!poor!laborers!who!couldnt!afford!housing!in!cities!lived!out!on!larger!
ranches!and!farms!where!often!they!also!worked.!These!were!little!more!than!worker!camps!

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whose!residents!were!the!poorest!of!the!working!poor,!writes!Chad!Richardson,!former!
professor!at!The!University!of!Texas!Rio!Grande!Valley,!in!his!book!Batos,*Bolillos,*Pochos*and*
Pelados.!By!the!1950s,!however,!some!landowners!realized!a!way!to!profit!from!unproductive!or!
floodEprone!farmland!by!subdividing!the!land!into!small!parcels,!putting!in!some!roads!and!
electrical!lines!here!and!there,!and!selling!the!lots!to!farmworkers!and!Mexican!immigrants!who!
had!been!excluded!from!cities.!These!subdivisions!were!what!would!come!to!be!known!as!
colonias.!
!

!
!
MEXICAN!MIGRANT!HOUSING!IN!EDCOUCH,!TEXAS,!1939.!THE!UNITS!WERE!OWNED!BY!A!LABOR!CONTRACTOR!WHO!
RENTED!THEM!TO!HIS!WORKERS,!WHO!WOULD!WORK!FOR!ABOUT!NINE!MONTHS!EACH!YEAR!IN!THE!VEGETABLE!AND!CITRUS!
FIELDS!OF!THE!LOWER!RIO!GRANDE!VALLEY.!PHOTO!BY!RUSSELL!LEE.!
!
At!face!value,!the!colonias!represented!opportunity!for!the!poor!workers!and!families!who!
bought!these!cheap!plots!of!land:!By!living!outside!the!city!limits,!Richardson!writes,!the!new!
owners!could!get!around!loosely!written!and!poorly!enforced!building!codes.!Here,!they!could!
build!whatever!house!they!could!afford.!The!downside,!of!course,!was!the!lack!of!basic!
services!and!risk!of!flooding.!Additionally,!the!payments!for!these!properties!tended!to!carry!
high!interest!rates.!!
!
Most!importantly,!perhaps,!colonia!residents!remained!at!the!margins!of!society,!both!literally!
and!figuratively.!Their!physical!distance!from!city!centers!greatly!limited!their!access!to!jobs,!
schools,!hospitals,!and!other!services!that!even!some!poor!city!dwellers!could!access.!And!with!

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no!political!clout!to!effect!change,!colonia!residents!couldnt!compel!county!officials!to!address!
their!needs.!
!
The!civil!rights!movement!that!emerged!in!the!1960s!sought!to!address!precisely!this!sort!of!
inequality.!Farmworkers!and!chicano!activists!organized!to!fight!against!segregation!and!
socioeconomic!inequality!and!for!greater!representation!in!political!and!civic!life.!The!movement!
gave!greater!voice!to!the!Mexican!American!community!at!large,!and!by!the!end!of!the!20th!
century,!many!Mexican!Americans!had!moved!into!the!middle!class.!
!
Despite!these!gains,!entire!classes!of!people!in!the!Rio!Grande!Valley!today!still!have!no!choice!
but!to!live!in!underserved!colonias!and!poor!urban!barrios!systematically!cut!off!from!opportunity!
and!upward!mobility.!
!
***!
!
Even!with!the!challenges!they!face,!colonias!are!vibrant!and!vital!communities.!They!are!places!
where!families,!who!could!not!otherwise!afford!it,!can!own!a!piece!of!land.!They!are!home!to!
hardworking!and!determined!people!looking!for!their!fair!shake!at!the!American!dream,!people!
who!have!to!fight!twice!as!hard!just!to!get!basic!necessities!like!clean!water!or!a!simple!
streetlight!on!their!corner,!who!sacrifice!the!little!time!and!money!they!have!to!work!for,!organize!
for,!or!pay!for!the!services!other!communities!take!for!granted.!
!
The!people!of!the!colonias!still!have!a!long!way!to!go!before!they!are!lifted!from!their!present!
conditions,!but!in!some!places!they!are!making!progress,!especially!through!campaigning!by!La!
Unin!del!Pueblo!Entero!(LUPE),!a!civil!rights!group!founded!by!Csar!Chvez!that!works!with!
colonias!and!immigrants,!and!A!Resource!in!Serving!Equality!(ARISE),!a!faithEbased,!womenE
led!group!helping!children!and!families!in!the!colonias!overcome!barriers!to!success.!
!

!Page!10!
!
 !
MEMBERS!OF!ARISE!AND!LUPE!HOLD!A!PRESS!CONFERENCE!OUTSIDE!OF!THE!HIDALGO!COUNTY!COMMISSIONERS!COURT!
BUILDING!TO!KICK!OFF!THEIR!CAMPAIGN!TO!BRING!EQUITABLE!DRAINAGE!SYSTEMS!TO!THE!COLONIAS!IN!HIDALGO!COUNTY.!
PHOTO!BY!JOSU!RAMREZ.!FEBRUARY!2017.!
!
Several!years!after!Hurricane!Dolly!flooded!Norma!Aldapes!home,!her!family!received!a!new!
house!through!a!pilot!disaster!recovery!housing!program.!Its!a!modernElooking!yet!modest!
abode!with!tall,!white!ceilings!and!an!ample!front!porch.!More!importantly,!though,!its!
constructed!with!safety!in!mind.!Unlike!many!of!the!improvised!constructions!common!in!
colonias,!her!home!has!concrete!support!beams!built!into!the!ground.!Its!also!raised!high!
enough!to!avoid!frequent!flooding.!And!if!a!strong!storm!were!to!cause!serious!damage,!its!
made!of!modules,!making!it!easier!to!rebuild.!
!
But!Aldape!is!one!of!the!fortunate!ones.!In!October!2015,!not!long!after!getting!the!keys!to!her!
new!house,!a!heavy!rain!flooded!much!of!her!community!once!again.!
!
I!had!many!mixed!feelings,!she!recalls.!I!was!happy!that!my!children!could!come!out!and!not!
get!soaked!getting!in!the!truck,!and!we!could!leave.!But!I!was!looking!around!and!all!my!
neighbors!had!to!tread!through!water!to!get!in!their!cars.!
!
Along!with!fellow!members!of!LUPE,!Aldape!has!worked!for!years!to!bring!drainage!systems,!
public!lighting,!paved!roads,!and!other!services!to!colonias!in!Hidalgo!County.!And!shes!seen!
some!localized!successes,!including!a!deep,!new!drainage!ditch!running!along!her!street.!Still,!

!Page!11!
!
she!knows!much!more!work!is!needed!to!address!the!inequalities!that!put!families!like!hers!at!a!
disadvantage.!
!
We!live!in!colonias!because!we!dont!have!money!to!live!in!the!city!where!there!are!all!the!
conveniences!like!public!transportation,!garbage![collection],!or!simply!internet,!she!says.!We!
dont!have!all!these!privileges.!Why?!Because!we!live!in!the!county.!We!all!want!these!
privileges,!but!its!a!shame!to!see!that!we!have!to!fight!for!our!necessities!when!our!
commissioners!should!be!providing!these!necessities.!
!

!
PHOTO!5:!THROUGH!A!PILOT!DISASTER!RECOVERY!HOUSING!PROGRAM,!NORMA!ALDAPES!FAMILY!RECEIVED!A!NEW!HOME!
BETTER!EQUIPPED!TO!WITHSTAND!STORMS!AND!FLOODING.!PHOTO!BY!DANI!MARRERO!HI.!AUGUST!2017.!
!
The!residential!segregation!that!exists!today!in!the!Rio!Grande!Valley!is!not!based!on!the!overt!
racism!that!defined!it!in!the!previous!century.!However,!the!separate!and!unequal!system!that!
Anglos!established!in!that!era!continues!to!disenfranchise!vulnerable!populations.!The!power!
dynamic!is!no!longer!as!simple!as!Anglo!oppression!of!Mexicans.!Rather,!it!is!driven!by!a!
complex!set!of!shifting!and!interweaving!identities!among!a!mostly!Hispanic!population:!
multigenerational!Mexican!Americans!versus!recent!immigrantsp!documented!versus!
undocumentedp!lighter!skin!versus!darker!skinp!bilingual!versus!monolingual!SpanishEspeaker.!
!
In!short,!its!complicated,!Njera!told!Texas!Housers.!And!its!not!neatly!about!Mexican!
Americans!versus!immigrants.!For!example,!she!said,!there!might!be!a!lighterEskinned!
immigrant!who!enjoys!more!privilege!than!a!darkerEskinned!Mexican!American.!Or!an!
undocumented!immigrant!who!speaks!perfect!English!may!have!more!opportunity!than!a!
Mexican!American!who!spent!most!of!his!life!only!speaking!Spanish.!!
!
Its!really!difficult!to!disentangle,!Njera!said.!But!certainly,!I!think!that!these!legacies!of!power!
and!inequality!are!still!present.!
!

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!
Texas!Housers!analysis!of!Hidalgo!County!neighborhoods!demonstrates!that!these!inequalities!
persist!indeed.!Researchers!at!Texas!Housers!started!by!laying!out!three!tiers!of!separate!and!
unequal!residential!areas!that!exist!in!Hidalgo!County:!1)!highEpoverty!areas!outside!
incorporated!areas!where!colonias!are!primarily!locatedp!2)!highEpoverty!neighborhoods!inside!
incorporated!areasp!and!3)!lowEpoverty,!highEopportunity!neighborhoods!inside!city!limits.!
!
The!analysis!showed!that,!on!average,!lowEpoverty!incorporated!neighborhoods!have!access!to!
higher!quality!schools,!more!than!twice!as!many!employment!opportunities,!and!over!double!the!
labor!force!participation!and!human!capital!compared!to!the!unincorporated!colonia!areas.!HighE
poverty!incorporated!neighborhoods!also!had!higher!quality!schools,!more!employment!
opportunities,!and!more!labor!force!participation!and!human!capital!on!average!than!the!
colonias.!Additionally,!transportation!costs!tend!to!be!lower!for!neighborhoods!in!incorporated!
areas.!
!
Texas!Housers!also!found!that!the!proportion!of!white,!nonEHispanic!residents!in!lowEpoverty!
incorporated!neighborhoods!was!about!four!times!higher!than!in!both!colonias!and!highEpoverty!
incorporated!areas,!where!more!than!nine!out!of!10!residents!are!Hispanic!or!Latino.!Heres!
another!way!to!look!at!the!racial!disparity!between!neighborhood!types:!69!percent!of!highE
poverty!unincorporated!areas!are!in!racially!and!ethnically!concentrated!areas!of!poverty.!That!
means!more!than!twoEthirds!of!unincorporated!colonias!and!similar!neighborhoods!are!in!
majority!nonEwhite!areas!where!more!than!40!percent!of!residents!live!below!the!poverty!line.!
!
Lastly,!Texas!Housers!found!that!although!the!majority!of!the!populations!both!within!and!
outside!of!city!limits!is!nativeEborn,!the!proportion!of!immigrants!in!unincorporated!areas!is!
higher!than!in!the!cities.!
!
One!thing!that!isnt!so!easy!to!measure!is!how!colonia!residents!internalize!the!stigma!of!
poverty,!immigration!status,!or!lack!of!opportunity!in!general!!and!in!many!cases,!how!they!
refuse!to!stand!idle!despite!enormous!obstacles.!
!
***!
!
Lizbeth!Ramos,!an!18EyearEold!recent!high!school!graduate,!grew!up!in!South!Tower!Estates,!a!
colonia!sandwiched!between!an!open!lagoon!sewer!treatment!plant!and!the!city!limits!of!Alamo,!
Texas.!The!lagoon,!which!serves!the!city!but!not!South!Tower!Estates,!emits!a!noxious!odor!
that!permeates!the!colonia.!
!
Even!if!the!door!was!closed,!even!if!the!windows!were!closed,!it!would!still!smell!inside,!she!
says.!It!smells!like!poop.!It!smells!like!animal!stuff.!It!smells!so!bad!sometimes!that!you!couldn't!
even!stand!outside!for!a!while.!
!
She!says!people!from!outside!the!community!would!often!ask!her!thoughtless!questions.!
Everybody!that!visited!is!kind!of!like,!You!like!to!live!where!it!smells?!Are!you!happy!that!you!
live!where!it!smells?!And,!no,!we!are!not!happy!that!we!live!in!a!place!that!smells.!We!are!not!
happy!that!we!have!to!smell!somebody!elses!waste.!
!
Ramos!family!moved!into!Alamo!several!years!ago.!She!says!its!a!huge!relief!not!to!smell!the!
fetid!lagoon!anymore.!The!air!is!actually!fresh,!she!says.!You!can!spend!time!outside.!But!
moving!away!from!the!colonia!hasnt!stopped!Ramos!from!fighting!for!those!who!still!live!there.!!
!

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!
As!a!youth!leader!with!South!Tower!Power,!a!campaign!that!seeks!to!end!environmental!
injustices!in!colonias,!Ramos!and!other!high!school!students!have!pushed!state!and!local!
officials!to!eliminate!the!treatment!facilitys!foul!smell.!These!young!people!organized!their!
community!to!report!the!effects!of!the!foul!smell!to!TCEQ,!whose!investigations!determined!that!
the!facility!violated!the!law.!As!a!consequence,!the!City!of!Alamo!has!invested!$1.7!million!in!
retrofitting!the!plant!with!pumps!and!aerators!to!reduce!the!smell.!
!
Unfortunately,!the!retrofits!have!not!completely!solved!the!problem.!The!plant!continues!to!
release!intermittent!odors,!and!community!members!say!that!it!should!be!upgraded!
permanently.!
!
What!we!really!want,!Ramos!says,!is!for!the![wastewater]!outfall!to!turn!into!a!mechanical!
plant,!and!for!it!to!be!updated!and!to!be!checked!every!time!that!it!needs!to!be,!because!we!
don't!want!the!smell!anymore.!
!
***!
!
Even!though!most!colonia!residents!are!U.S.!citizens,!many!are!immigrants,!and!virtually!
everyone!living!in!colonias!has!family!or!knows!someone!who!is!an!immigrant.!So!its!
understandable!that!the!current!rise!in!antiEimmigrant!legislation!and!increasing!militarization!of!
the!border!have!many!colonia!residents!on!edge.!Fearing!racial!profiling!by!police!and!
deportation,!many!immigrants!and!their!families!are!wary!to!step!outside!their!already!isolated!
communities.!
!
Alberta!Ramirez,!a!53EyearEold!grandmother!who!lives!in!a!colonia!on!the!outskirts!of!Edinburg,!
Texas,!came!to!the!U.S.!from!Mexico!in!1990.!She!says!many!immigrants!in!the!colonias!are!
worried!about!new!laws!giving!local!police!the!authority!to!enforce!immigration!law.!
!
We!dont!go!out!with!confidence.!And!for!those!who!dont!have!a!drivers!license,!its!a!fear!
simply!to!take!their!kids!to!school,!to!the!doctor,!Ramirez!says!in!Spanish.!
!
She!says!these!laws!make!communities!like!hers!less!safe!by!discouraging!immigrants!from!
reporting!crime,!because!how!are!you!going!to!talk!to!the!police!if!the!police!are!going!to!come!
and!ask!you!your!immigration!status?!If!you![are!undocumented],!its!better!to!stay!silent.!
!
Its!an!outcome!not!all!too!different!than!what!happened!in!the!early!days!of!the!Border!Patrol:!
Immigrants,!both!documented!and!undocumented,!and!their!family!members!are!driven!back!
into!the!shadows.!
!
Ramirez,!however,!hasnt!stayed!silent.!With!fellow!members!of!LUPE,!she!campaigns!for!
immigrants!rights,!to!keep!families!from!being!torn!apart.!
!
We!are!not!fighting!for!ourselves,!she!says,!but!for!our!families,!so!that!there!are!no!more!
children!without!their!fathers!and!their!mothers.!
!

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!
 !
ALBERTA!RAMIREZ!STANDS!WITH!HER!GRANDDAUGHTER!ON!THE!STEPS!OF!HER!HOME!OUTSIDE!OF!EDINBURG,!TEXAS.!
RAMIREZ!SAYS!INCREASING!BORDER!MILITARIZATION!WILL!MAKE!COMMUNITIES!LIKE!HERS!LESS!SAFE.!PHOTO!BY!DANI!
MARRERO!HI.!AUGUST!2017.!
***!
!
Josu!Lpez!was!living!in!a!house!he!built!with!his!family!when!Hurricane!Dolly!ravaged!his!
colonia!in!2008.!Strong!winds!ripped!the!shingles!from!the!roof!and!wrenched!the!garage!door!
from!its!hinges.!Water!flooded!the!house,!and!eventually,!much!of!the!structure!was!destroyed.!
!
The!best!thing!a!family!can!have!is!property!and!to!know!that!you!can!give!it!to!your!children,!to!
know!that!it!is!a!house!for!which!you!have!worked!hard!for!many!years,!Lpez!says!in!Spanish.!
Seeing!the!damage!and!knowing!that!I!didnt!have![money]!to!fix!it.!That!is!frustrating.!
!
Two!years!ago,!with!the!aid!of!a!pilot!rehousing!program,!Lpez!and!his!family!were!able!to!
leave!the!colonia!and!secured!safe!and!affordable!housing!in!San!Juan,!Texas.!He!says!the!
moving!into!the!city!has!improved!life!for!his!family.!
!
My!children!each!have!their!own!room,!he!says.!We!have!a!spacious!back!patio!where!the!
kids!play.!We!dont!have!problems!with!them!getting!too!close!to!the!street,!even!though!its!a!
pretty!quiet!neighborhood.!We!dont!have!problems!with!cars!rushing!by!or!people!doing!bad!
things.!Also,!its!a!place!that!doesnt!flood.!
!
Lpez!recognizes!that!most!people!arent!so!lucky,!and!he!believes!government!officials!should!
do!more!to!help!those!less!fortunate.!
!
The!government!has!a!responsibility!to!use!all!its!resources!on!the!people,!because!at!the!end!
of!the!day,!the!people!are!what!make!this!country.!So!if!we!improve!the!conditions!of!families,!
we!have!better!families.!
!
***!

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!
!
The!stories!included!here,!together!with!Texas!Housers!neighborhood!analysis,!not!only!
demonstrate!the!harmful!effects!of!a!separate!and!unequal!system!of!segregation,!but!also!
reveal!how!increasing!affordable!housing!options!can!give!families!a!chance!at!a!better!future.!

As!Hidalgo!County!prepares!its!Assessment!of!Fair!Housing,!it!is!critical!for!officials!to!
understand!the!enduring!legacy!of!racial!and!ethnic!residential!segregation!and!the!inequality!it!
produces.!To!truly!provide!safe!and!equitable!housing,!Hidalgo!Countys!leaders!must!confront!
the!policies!that!maintain!residential!segregation!and!propose!solutions!that!provide!greater!
opportunity!to!all!who!live!within!the!county.!

Data!and!Analysis!!

The!analysis!performed!by!TxLIHIS!is!broken!into!three!parts!which!together!demonstrate!a!
pattern!of!growth,!development,!and!provision!of!public!services!that!has!negatively!affected!
those!living!both!in!the!colonias!and!model!subdivisions!found!predominately!in!unincorporated!
areas!of!the!county,!and!in!high!poverty!areas!within!city!limits.!!

The!first!section!will!briefly!examine!patterns!of!development!with!regards!to!colonias,!as!well!as!
model!subdivisions!built!since!the!midE1990s!under!rules!adopted!to!address!the!infrastructure!
and!public!services!issues!that!have!long!plagued!colonias!in!Hidalgo!County,!as!they!have!in!
Texas!at!large.!This!section!will!establish!a!pattern!of!everEsprawling!development!outside!of!
cities!in!Hidalgo!County!that!is!home!to!a!disproportionate!number!of!nonEnative!born!people.!!

The!next!section!establishes!a!method!for!analyzing!the!data!provided!by!the!Affirmatively!
Furthering!Fair!Housing!Tool!(AFFHET)!for!Hidalgo!Countys!Regional!Assessment!of!Fair!
Housing!(AFH).!Because!the!county,!along!with!a!number!of!municipalities!and!housing!
authorities,!has!elected!to!perform!a!regional!AFH,!a!regional!method!of!analysis!is!needed!to!
look!at!the!data!provided!in!the!AFFHET!that!the!Tool!does!not!adequately!facilitate.!TxLIHIS!
has!established!three!neighborhood!tiers!that!are!mutually!exclusive!areas!of!the!county!as!a!
way!to!better!assess!disparities!and!inequities!across!the!county!on!a!regional!basis!rather!than!
assessing!these!conditions!individually!among!the!participating!jurisdictions!as!the!Tool!better!
facilitates.!Using!these!tiers,!the!AFFHET!data!is!analyzed!and!mapped!to!demonstrate!the!
disparities!and!inequities!between!unincorporated!areas!that!are!high!poverty!and!where!most!
colonias!and!model!subdivisions!are!found,!high!poverty!areas!within!municipalities,!and!lower!
poverty,!highEopportunity!areas!within!municipalities.!This!section!first!analyzes!the!indices!
provided!by!the!Tool!by!neighborhood!tier,!and!then!analyzes!population!demographics!by!
these!same!neighborhood!tiers.!

Finally,!TxLIHIS!analyzed!other!data!not!included!in!the!Tool!that!relates!to!two!issues!which!
are!acute!in!colonias!and!model!subdivisions.!First,!while!millions!of!dollars!have!been!
expended!to!address!basic!infrastructure!and!public!service!deficiencies!in!colonias!that!were!a!
result!of!lax!subdivision!regulations!and!unscrupulous!developer!practices,!storm!water!
drainage!remains!a!widespread!problem!in!many!of!these!communities!today.!The!sprawling!
development!of!unincorporated!Hidalgo!County!that!was!reviewed!in!the!first!section!makes!
addressing!this!problem!difficult,!as!greater!sprawl!equates!to!more!miles!of!infrastructure!to!
connect!them!to!the!regional!drainage!system!owned!and!maintained!by!the!County,!as!well!as!
that!within!the!right!of!way!of!countyE!and!stateEmaintainted!roads!and!highways.!Additionally,!
many!drainage!issues!are!related!to!deficiencies!within!colonias!that!require!investment!into!
structures!that!convey!storm!water!safely!from!peoples!property!along!local!streets!and!out!of!

!Page!16!
!
colonias!into!the!regional!system.!Secondly,!both!colonias!and!model!subdivisions!lack!a!
particular!provision!of!infrastructure!that!is!in!high!demand!among!residents.!Streetlighting!is!
something!that!many!residents!of!incorporated!cities!might!take!for!granted.!However,!most!
colonias!and!model!subdivision!lack!this!basic!infrastructure,!posing!threats!to!residents!safety.!
There!have!been!some!small!scale!efforts!to!address!this!issue,!however!a!more!concerted!
effort!through!a!formal!program!is!likely!needed!to!address!this!problem!across!the!region.!

Spatial"Characteristics"of"Development"and"Nativity"in"Hidalgo"County"
The!estimated!population!of!Hidalgo!County!in!2014!was!just!over!830,00091!percent!of!
which!is!Hispanic!or!Latino!of!any!race,!and!7!of!which!is!white,!nonEHispanic.!The!existence!of!
a!predominately!Hispanic!or!Latino!population!might!lead!one!to!think!that!race!and!ethnicityE
based!discrimination!and!inequity!found!in!most!other!cities!and!counties!across!the!state!and!
the!nation!doesnt!exist!or!is!at!least!less!of!a!problem.!However,!discrimination!and!economic!
inequity!are!indeed!issues!that!instead!are!based!more!on!national!origin!or!nativity!to!the!US.!
The!following!analyses!seek!to!identify!distinctive!socioeconomic!and!spatial!characteristics!of!
these!groups!that!demonstrate!this!issue!in!Hidalgo!County.!

Because!there!is!little!data!available!that!distinguishes!population!characteristics!of!colonias!and!
model!subdivisions!from!the!geographies!that!contain!them,!a!series!of!analyses!is!required!to!
infer!these!characteristics!based!on!trends!and!comparisons!in!data!of!the!census!block!groups!
that!contain!these!communities.!This!section!provides!analyses!to!demonstrate!the!differences!
between!colonia!and!model!subdivision!areas,!and!cities!with!regards!to!proximity!and!
population.!The!analyses!below!were!generated!utilizing!census!block!data!selections!where!
these!communities!were!located.!In!instances!where!a!municipal!boundary!bisected!a!block!
group,!manual!validation!using!a!Geographic!Information!System!(GIS),!satellite!imagery,!and!
some!assumptions!was!performed!to!determine!if!the!majority!of!a!block!groups!population!was!
located!inside!or!outside!a!city!limit!boundary.!

Table!1!shows!an!increasing!nonEnative!population!going!from!inside!urban!city!limits,!to!those!
cities!extraterritorial!jursidictions!(ETJ),!and!beyond!to!the!unincorporated!areas!of!the!county!
outside!any!type!of!municipal!oversight.!For!the!purposes!of!this!section!of!the!report,!an!
unincorporated!area!shall!refer!to!the!area!of!the!county!outside!of!an!ETJ!(even!though!an!
ETJ!is!technically!unincorporated,!as!well).!!!

Table"1:"Distribution"of"native"&"nonCnative"populations"among"jurisdictions"
Born! City!Limits! ETJ! Unincorporated*! County!
Native! 357,982!(73%)! 162,886!(69%)! 37,963!(62%)! 558,831!(71%)!
NonENative! 135,718!(27%)! 72,604!(31%)! 23,493!(38%)! 231,815!(29%)!
Total! 493,700! 235,490! 61,456! 790,646!
Source:!Block!group!selections!from!ACS!2009E2013,!TNRIS!
*does!not!include!ETJ!

Table!2!shows!where!subdivision!development!in!Hidalgo!County!has!been!focused!across!
these!three!jurisdictions.!Over!a!third!of!colonias!are!now!within!city!limits,!while!only!4!percent!
of!early!model!subdivisions!and!a!single!recent!model!subdivision!are!within!city!limits.!A!
somewhat!similar!amount!across!these!settlement!categories!are!located!with!ETJs.!Only!one!in!
10!colonias!are!in!an!unincorporated!area!outside!an!ETJ,!while!over!oneEthird!of!early!MSRs!
and!oneEhalf!of!recent!MSRs!are!located!in!these!distant,!unincorporated!areas.!!

!Page!17!
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!

Table"2:"Distribution"of"settlements"among"jurisdictions"
Settlement! City!Limits! ETJ! Unincorporated*! County!Total!
Colonias! 298!(35%)! 456!(54%)! 96!(11%)! 850!
MSREpre!2005! 22!(4%)! 337!(59%)! 208!(37%)! 567!
MSRE2005!to!present! 1!(0.7%)! 55!(50%)!! 55!(50%)! 111!
Source:!Office!of!the!Attorney!General,!Noah!J.!Durst!2015,!TNRIS!
*does!not!include!ETJ!

Finally,!table!3!represents!the!approximate!native!born!population!through!selections!of!block!
groups!using!the!three!categories!of!settlements.!These!percentages!are!the!proportions!of!
native!and!nonEnative!born!populations!in!the!block!groups!that!contain!each!settlement!type.!
Note!how!the!oldest!of!the!settlements,!colonias,!have!the!largest!proportion!of!native!born!
people!while!the!most!recent!settlements,!model!subdivisions!(MSDs)!platted!since!2005,!have!
the!smallest.!!

Table"3:"Native"born"population"of"census"block"groups"containing"settlements"
Born! Colonias! MSD<pre! MSD<2005!to! County!Total!
2005! present!
Native! 69%! 67%! 64%! 71%!
NonENative! 31%! 33%! 36%! 29%!

Map!1!visualizes!the!findings!of!these!analyses!by!showing!how!MSRs!tend!to!be!located!in!
more!distant!unincorporated!areas!than!colonias.!Particularly!to!the!west!of!Alton!and!Palmview,!
as!well!as!to!the!east!of!Edinburg,!note!how!a!band!of!colonias!along!the!city!limits!is!followed!
by!a!more!distant!cluster!of!MSRs.!

Together,!these!analyses!suggest!that!rural!development!in!Hidalgo!County!is!
increasingly!sprawling!over!a!larger!area!that!is!getting!further!away!from!the!urban!
cores!where!more!jobs!and!services!are!located.!They!also!suggest!that!it!is!
disproportionately!nonEnative!people!who!are!buying!or!renting!in!these!areas!that!put!
them!at!a!disadvantage!for!accessing!cities!as!well!as!getting!quality!infrastructure!and!
services!extended!to!their!communities.!

!Page!18!
!
*

!Page!19!
!
Map"1:"Colonias"&"Model"Subdivisions"with"percent"nonCnative"born"population"

!Page!20!
!
AFFH"Data"Analyzed"by"Neighborhood"Tier"
The!Affirmatively!Furthering!Fair!Housing!(AFFH)!Data!available!from!the!HUD!Data!and!
Mapping!Tool!(AFFHET)!is!only!presented!at!the!geographic!level!of!a!single!jurisdiction.!This!
provides!a!summary!of!socioeconomic!and!housing!conditions!in!that!jurisdiction!but!misses!the!
nuances!of!neighborhood!level!conditions!for!residents.!For!example,!jurisdictions!can!be!made!
up!of!low!and!high!poverty!neighborhoods!that!may!average!out!to!nonEalarming!levels!of!
poverty.!Additionally,!if!the!data!is!only!analyzed!by!jurisdiction,!it!is!impossible!to!see!how!those!
results!fit!into!the!context!of!their!region!when!a!group!of!jurisdictions!elects,!as!those!in!Hidalgo!
County!have,!to!perform!a!regional!Assessment!of!Fair!Housing!(AFH).!Together,!the!policies!
and!histories!of!individual!jurisdictions!contribute!to!the!fair!housing!issues!that!exist!in!their!
region,!and!together!they!must!analyze!them!and!come!up!with!regional!solutions.!To!provide!a!
regional!look!at!fair!housing!issues,!TxLIHIS!analyzed!the!census!tracts!and!block!groups!in!all!
of!Hidalgo!County!and,!using!poverty!and!incorporation!status,!categorized!them!to!reflect!the!
three!tiers!of!separate!and!unequal!residential!areas:!

Tier!1:!highEpoverty!areas!located!outside!incorporated!areas!
Tier!2:!highEpoverty!neighborhoods!located!inside!incorporated!areas!
Tier!3:!lowEpoverty,!high!opportunity!residential!neighborhoods!inside!incorporated!areas!

Table!4!shows!the!count!of!census!tracts!and!census!block!groups!included!in!each!of!these!
tiers.!Maps!2!and!3!below!visualize!geographically!these!classifications!by!each!defined!
neighborhood!tier!with!Map!1!illustrating!the!categorized!block!groups!and!Map!3!illustrating!the!
categorized!Census!Tracts.!The!maps!also!show!the!location!of!Colonias!and!Model!
Subdivisions.!As!is!illustrated!by!the!maps,!Colonias!and!Model!Subdivisions!are!largely!located!
in!Tier!1!of!Hidalgo!County.!!

The!inequitable!conditions!for!each!neighborhood!tier!are!illustrated!further!in!this!report!by!
analyzing!the!AFFH!data!provided!by!HUD.!Analyzing!the!data!by!neighborhood!type!rather!
than!by!jurisdiction,!shows!a!disparity!in!opportunity!for!individuals!and!families!living!in!Tier!1!
and!Tier!2!residential!areas!versus!Tier!3!neighborhoods.!

The!Regional!Assessment!of!Fair!Housing!should!consider!these!inequitable!conditions!when!
creating!goals!and!policies!in!the!Hidalgo!County!regional!AFH!to!address!fair!housing!issues!
and!obligations!throughout!the!region.!

Table"4:"Establishing"Neighborhood"Tiers"
Census!Block!Groups!
Tier!1! 81!
Tier!2! 183!
Tier!3! 74!
Census!Tracts!
Tier!1! 32!
Tier!2! 64!
Tier!3! 17!

!Page!21!
!
Map$2.$Neighborhood$Tier$by$Census$Block$Group$

!
!Page!22!
!
Map$3.$Neighborhood$Tier$by$Census$Tract

!Page!23!
!
AFFH$Data$Analysis$
The!AFFH!Data!and!Mapping!Tool!(AFFH7T)!allows!a!user!to!download!tables!and!maps!for!the!
entitlement!jurisdictions!of!Edinburg,!McAllen,!Mission,!Pharr!and!Hidalgo!County.!While!the!
tables!and!maps!give!information!for!each!jurisdiction,!they!do!not!clearly!show!the!differences!
and!inequalities!between!neighborhoods!among!the!jurisdictions!participating!in!this!regional!
AFH.!Additionally,!the!HUD!data!does!not!include!Colonia!or!Model!Subdivision!data.!To!better!
understand!the!conditions!of!the!region,!TxLIHIS!has!classified!three!neighborhood!tiers!and!
analyzed!what!the!data!looks!like!for!each!neighborhood!type,!as!well!as!included!colonias!and!
model!subdivisions!in!maps!visualizing!the!AFFH!tool!data.!

The!underlying!raw1!AFFH!data!used!by!the!AFFH7T!is!available!in!a!series!of!spreadsheets!
broken!down!by!geography:!CBSA,!jurisdiction,!census!tract!and!block!group.!Using!the!raw!
census!tract2!and!block!group!data,!TxLIHIS!conducted!an!analysis!for!the!three!neighborhood!
tiers!by!assigning!a!neighborhood!tier!value!to!each!Census!Tract!and!block!group.!!

Using!these!neighborhood!tiers,!TxLIHIS!analyzed!the!seven!opportunity!indices!used!by!HUD!
based!on!the!smallest!available!geography:!

! Low!Poverty!Index!(Census!Tract)!
! School!Proficiency!Index!(Block!Group)!
! Jobs!Proximity!Index!(Block!Group)!
! Labor!Market!Engagement!Index!(Census!Tract)!
! Low!Transportation!Cost!Index!(Census!Tract)!
! Transit!Trips!Index!(Census!Tract)!
! Environmental!Health!Index!(Census!Tract)!
!
An!explanation!and!interpretation!for!each!index!is!available!in!the!Affirmatively!Furthering!Fair!
Housing!Data!and!Mapping!Tool!(AFFH7T)!Data!Documentation3.!With!the!Data!and!Mapping!
Tool!Table,!Table!12!provides!a!summary!of!these!Opportunity!Indices!by!Race!and!Ethnicity!at!
the!jurisdiction!geographic!level.!A!table!summarizing!the!Table!12!information!for!all!the!
entitlement!jurisdictions!in!Hidalgo!County!is!shown!in!the!Appendix4.!!

As!detailed!below,!TxLIHISs!neighborhood!tier!analysis!shows!a!lower!average!score!for!
almost!all!the!measured!opportunity!indicators!for!the!Tier!1,!unincorporated!areas!when!
compared!to!the!Tier!3,!lower!poverty,!incorporated!areas.!All!tables!below!use!the!AFFH!data!
as!provided!by!HUD!unless!otherwise!specified.!

! !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1
!https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/4868/affh:raw:data/!
2
!The!July!2017!version!3!update!of!the!AFFH!raw!data!includes!approximately!80!more!fields!of!data!for!the!
Census!Tract!data!found!in!the!file:!affh_tract_AFFHT0003_July2017.csv!
3
!https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/4848/affh:data:documentation/!
4
!HUD!updated!the!AFFH!data!in!July!2017!and!corrected!what!they!identified!as!an!issue!with!the!Environmental!
Health!Index!data,!but!that!update!is!not!reflected!in!the!tables!that!can!be!downloaded!for!each!jurisdiction!from!
the!AFFH!data!and!mapping!tool.!https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5426/affh:t:known:issues/!

!Page!24!
!
Block$Group$Indices$
The!AFFH7T!Indices!available!at!the!block!group!level!are!the!Jobs!Proximity!Index!and!the!
School!Proficiency!Index.!The!higher!the!number!for!the!Jobs!Index,!the!more!employment!
opportunities!are!available!for!the!Block!Group.!The!July!2017!release!of!AFFH!raw!data!
provides!an!alternate!job!index!that!uses!a!slightly!different!methodology.!For!both!the!Jobs!
Proximity!Index!and!the!Alternate!Jobs!Proximity!Index,!the!average!value!for!the!block!groups!
located!in!high!opportunity!incorporated!areas!are!over!twice!as!high!as!the!unincorporated!
areas!where!colonias!and!model!subdivisions!are!primarily!located.!!

At!the!block!group!level,!the!average!percent!of!White,!Non7Hispanic,!residents!in!the!third!
neighborhood!tier!of!incorporated,!low!poverty!areas!is!four!times!that!of!Colonias!or!
Incorporated,!high!poverty!areas.!

Table$5:$Demographics$of$Neighborhood$Tiers$by$Census$Block$Group$
Nbhd!Tier! Average!Percent! Average!Percent!
White!not! Hispanic!or!
Hispanic! Latino!
Tier!1! 5.2%! 94.3%!
Tier!2! 5.9%! 93.3%!
Tier!3! 21.1%! 75.5%!

Table!6!indicates!that!there!are!fewer!job!opportunities!in!Tier!2,!higher!poverty!incorporated!
areas,!and!significantly!fewer!job!opportunities!in!the!unincorporated!areas!of!the!county!where!
most!colonias!and!newer!model!subdivisions!are!located.!This!means!that!residents!of!these!
Tier!2,!and!especially!Tier!1!areas!are!having!to!drive!longer!distances!for!not!only!their!jobs,!
but!also!for!the!goods!and!services!that!those!jobs!provide.!This!equates!to!higher!costs!related!
to!time!spent!and!miles!driven!to!access!these!jobs!and!services.!

Table$6:$AFFHCT$Jobs$Indices$
Nbhd!Tier! Jobs!Index! Alternate!Jobs!
Average! Index!Average!
Tier!1! 27.6! 24.4!
Tier!2! 53.5! 54.9!
Tier!3! 63.1! 63.2!
!
For!the!School!Proficiency!Index,!a!higher!value!indicates!a!higher!quality!of!school!system!
available.!The!school!index!is!higher!in!the!low!poverty!areas!than!in!the!Colonia,!
unincorporated!neighborhood!tier.!Most!public!schools,!according!to!data!displayed!in!Map!4!
from!Children!at!Risk,!are!located!within!incorporated!city!limits!within!Hidalgo!County.!This!map!
does!not!consider!the!actual!attendance!zones!of!these!schools,!for!which!the!policies!
governing!them!vary!by!school!district!and!year.!
!
!
!
!

!Page!25!
!
!
Table$7:$AFFHCT$School$Index$
Nbhd!Tier! School!Index!
Average!
Tier!1! 40.4!
Tier!2! 44.1!
Tier!3! 55.6!

!
Map$4:$School$Quality$in$Hidalgo$County$

! !

!Page!26!
!
Census$Tract$Indices$
The!majority!of!the!AFFH!raw!data!is!available!at!the!Census!Tract!geographic!level.!The!
Indices!available!are!the!Poverty!Index,!Labor!Index,!Environmental!Hazard!Index,!Low!
Transportation!Cost!Index!and!Transit!Index.!An!explanation!and!interpretation!for!each!index!is!
available!in!the!Affirmatively!Furthering!Fair!Housing!Data!and!Mapping!Tool!(AFFH7T)!Data!
Documentation5.!Table!8!analyzes!this!data!by!neighborhood!tier,!below.!

Table$8:$AFFHCT$Indicies$by$Neighborhood$Tier$by$Census$Tract$
Nbhd!Tier! Low!Poverty! Labor!Index! Environmental! Low! Transit!
Index! Average! Hazard!Index! Transportation! Index!
Average! Average! Cost!Index! Average!
Average!
Tier!1! 6.2! 18.3! 40.6! 14.9! 10.7!
Tier!2! 10.7! 26.1! 35.3! 31.6! 15.4!
Tier!3! 40.3! 63.1! 40.2! 28.6! 13.8!

When!the!indices!are!evaluated!by!the!neighborhood!tier!categorization,!the!index!averages!
show!that!the!low!poverty!areas!of!the!incorporated!cities!have!a!higher!poverty!index,!an!over!
double!Labor!Index!Average,!and!both!the!high!and!low!poverty!incorporated!areas!have!a!
higher!Low!Transportation!Cost!and!Transit!Index!than!what!is!found!in!the!higher!poverty!
Colonia!areas.!Factors!such!as!access!to!jobs,!transportation!costs,!and!access!to!transit!all!
stand!to!affect!those!with!lower!incomes!more,!as!they!have!less!means!to!absorb!these!costs.!

Analyzing$the$Population$of$the$Neighborhood$Tiers$
With!disparities!across!the!neighborhood!tiers!established!through!the!analysis!of!AFFH7T!index!
data,!the!next!thing!to!do!is!analyze!the!populations!living!in!each!tier!to!see!if!any!groups!are!
being!disproportionately!affected!by!these!inequitable!conditions.!!

Analysis!using!the!neighborhood!tiers!and!tract!poverty!data!other!than!that!provided!by!the!
opportunity!indices!highlights!the!large!income!disparities!between!the!unincorporated!areas,!
high!poverty!incorporated!areas,!and!low!poverty!incorporated!areas!as!seen!in!the!table!below.!!

Table$9:$Average$Tract$Poverty$Rate$by$Neighborhood$Tier$
Nbhd!Tier! Poverty!Rate!
Average!
Tier!1! 41.7%!
Tier!2! 34.8%!
Tier!3! 13.4%!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
!https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/4848/affh:data:documentation/!

!Page!27!
!
!

Map!5!illustrates!where!these!concentrations!of!poverty!are!in!relation!to!city!limits,!colonias,!
and!model!subdivisions.!Note!the!large!concentrations!of!primarily!model!subdivisions!located!to!
the!northwest!of!Alton!that!are!located!in!an!area!with!a!poverty!rate!of!over!50!percent,!as!well!
as!the!cluster!of!model!subdivisions!to!the!northeast!of!Edinburg!and!of!model!subdivisions!and!
colonias!to!the!south!of!Elsa,!Edinburg,!and!Edcouch.!

Map$5:$Poverty$Rate$by$Tract$in$Hidalgo$County$

Almost!three!times!three!times!as!many!White,!non7Hispanic!residents!live!in!low!poverty!
incorporated!areas!as!unincorporated!areas!as!shown!in!Table!10.!Also,!the!Hispanic!
population!of!low!poverty!incorporated!areas!is!almost!20!percent!less!than!in!unincorporated!
areas.!The!map!below!illustrates!these!concentrations!of!White,!Non7Hispanic!residents,!
particularly!in!areas!of!north!McAllen,!south!eastern!Edinburg,!northern!Mission,!and!southern!
Weslaco.!

!Page!28!
!
!
Table$10:$White$not$Hispanic$and$Hispanic$or$Latino$populations$by$Neighborhood$Tier$
Nbhd!Tier! Average!Percent! Average!Percent!
White!not! Hispanic!or!
Hispanic!(2010)! Latino!(2010)!
Tier!1! 5.6%! 93.5%!
Tier!2! 7.7%! 91.2%!
Tier!3! 15.0%! 74.5%!

Map$6:$White$not$Hispanic$Residents$by$Neighborhood$Tier$

!Page!29!
!
As!the!first!section!of!this!report!found,!there!is!a!greater!proportion!of!foreign!born!(non7native)!
people!living!in!unincorporated!areas,!categorized!here!as!Tier!1.!Within!incorporated!areas,!
there!also!a!greater!proportion!of!foreign!born!people!in!higher!poverty!areas!as!shown!in!Table!
11.!These!same!patterns!exist!for!people!who!are!Limited!English!Proficient!(LEP).!Areas!with!
more!people!who!are!LEP!can!have!difficulties!engaging!with!elected!officials!and!participating!
in!public!meetings!that!may!not!provide!translation!services.!This!can!lead!to!issues!not!being!
adequately!addressed!in!their!communities!

Maps!7!and!8!illustrate!where!these!concentrations!of!Foreign!Born!people!and!those!who!are!
LEP!are!located!within!the!county.!

Table$11:$Average$Foreign$Born$and$Limited$English$Proficient$(LEP)$by$neighborhood$tier$
Nbhd!Tier! Average!Percent! Average!Percent! Average!Percent!
Foreign!Born6! LEP! LEP!Households7!
Tier!1! 31.1%! 31.8%! 22.0%!
Tier!2! 29.2%! 30.0%! 23.1%!
Tier!3! 23.7%! 19.1%! 10.6%!

Average!
Average!Percent! Average!Percent! Percent!LEP!
8 9
Neighborhood!Classification! !!!Range! Foreign!Born !! LEP! Households !
Colonias,!unincorporated!areas! Min! 17.6%! 31.8%! 22.0%!
! Max! 45.1%! ! !
Incorporated,!high!poverty!areas! Min! 11.1%! 30.0%! 23.1%!
! Max! 43.0%! ! !
Incorporated,!low!poverty!areas! Min! 16.4%! 19.1%! 10.6%!
! Max! 38.4%! ! !
! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! !

!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6
!2009:2013!
7
!ACS!2011:2015!5!Year!Estimates:!Table!S1602!
8
!2009:2013!
9
!ACS!2011:2015!5!Year!Estimates:!Table!S1602!

!Page!30!
!
Map$7:$Foreign$Born$People$and$Neighborhood$Tiers$

!Page!31!
!
Map$8:$Limited$English$Proficient$(LEP)$and$Neighborhood$Tiers$

! !

!Page!32!
!
Over!two7thirds!of!the!census!tracts!that!are!primarily!located!in!unincorporated!Hidalgo!County!
are!racially!and!ethnically!concentrated!areas!of!poverty!(R/ECAP)!are!located!in!the!
unincorporated!areas!of!Hidalgo!County.!These!areas!have!high!poverty!where!more!than!40!
percent!of!residents!are!living!below!poverty!and!have!a!population!that!is!majority!non7white.!
One7third!of!tracts!that!are!incorporated,!high!poverty!areas!are!also!R/ECAPs.!!

Table$12:$R/ECAP$areas$by$Neighborhood$Tiers$
! ! Nbhd!Tier! Number!of!R/ECAP!areas! Percent!of!Tracts!in!
!10
(CTs) ! Neighobrhood!Tier!
Tier!1! 22! 69%!
Tier!2! 21! 33%!
Tier!3! 0! 0%!

!
Map$9:$R/ECAP$areas$and$Neighborhood$Tiers$

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10
!2010!R/ECAP!

!Page!33!
!
The!low!poverty!areas!of!incorporated!areas!of!Hidalgo!County!has!over!four!times!the!number!
of!individuals!with!a!bachelors!degree!or!higher!as!the!unincorporated!areas.!

Table$13:$Higher$Education$Attainment$by$Neighborhood$Tier$
Nbhd!Tier! Percent!
Bachelors!
Degree!or!
Higher!Average!
Tier!1! 7.6%!
Tier!2! 13.4%!
Tier!3! 33.3%!

The!AFFH7Tool!raw!data!version!released!in!July!2017!contains!data!at!the!Census!Tract!level!
indicating!the!number!of!households!earning!30%,!50%!and!80%!of!Median!Family!Income.!
When!analyzed!by!neighborhood!tier,!Table!14!shows!that!the!Colonia!and!high!poverty!
incorporated!neighborhood!tiers!have!significantly!higher!percentages!of!families!at!all!low!
income!levels!compared!to!Tier!3.!

Table$14:$Income$as$a$Percentage$of$Median$Family$Income$by$Neighborhood$Tier$
Nbhd!Tier! Percent!of! Percent!of! Percent!of!
households!with! households!with! households!with!
less!than!30%! less!than!50%! less!than!80%!
AMI!Average11! AMI! AMI!
Tier!1! 22.5%! 40.6%! 59.7%!
Tier!2! 21.2%! 37.6%! 55.9%!
Tier!3! 8.7%! 17.6%! 30.1%!

Analyzing$Subsidized$Housing$Sites$
The!AFFH7T!includes!data!on!where!subsidized!housing!developments!are!located,!categorized!
by!program.!Across!the!three!programsLow!Income!Housing!Tax!Credit!(LIHTC),!Public!
Housing,!and!Project!Based!Section!8a!similar!siting!pattern!exists.!Analyzing!the!siting!of!
these!developments!by!neighborhood!tiers!(using!census!block!groups!in!this!case)!finds!that!
while!relatively!few!of!these!sites!are!located!in!unincorporated!areas,!there!is!a!large!disparity!
between!high7poverty!incorporated!areas!where!subsidized!housing!from!all!programs!is!
concentrated,!and!low7poverty!high!opportunity!areas!where!few!of!these!developments!exist.!!

Its!worth!recalling!here!that,!as!shown!in!Table!4,!there!are!more!than!double!the!number!of!
census!block!groups!in!Tier!2!than!Tier!3.!However,!the!disparities!found!in!the!siting!of!
subsidized!housing!developments!are!far!greater!than!doublef!rather,!there!are!roughly!10!times!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11
!From!affh_tract_AFFHT0003_July2017.csv!of!AFFH!raw!data!download!

!Page!34!
!
the!number!of!developments!from!these!programs!located!in!higher!poverty!Tier!2!areas,!as!
Table!15!and!Map!10!display.!

Table$15:$Subsidized$Housing$Development$Sites$by$Neighborhood$Tier$
Nbhd!Tier! LIHTC! Public!Housing! Project7Based!
Developments! Section!8!
Tier!1! 10! 3! 3!
Tier!2! 71! 25! 19!
Tier!3! 7! 2! 3!
Total!
88! 30! 25!
Developments!

!
Map$10:$Subsidized$Housing$Development$Sites$by$Neighborhood$Tier$

Also!provided!by!the!AFFH7T!is!data!on!the!Housing!Choice!Voucher!(HCV)!program.!
Specifically,!the!Tool!provides!a!map!layer!showing!the!percentage!of!all!housing!units!in!a!
census!tract!where!the!household!is!relying!on!the!assistance!provided!by!an!HCV.!In!order!to!
better!analyze!where!HCV!holders!have!found!housing!in!the!Hidalgo!County!region,!TxLIHIS!
requested!HCV!data!from!all!public!housing!authorities!(PHAs)!operating!in!the!county.!In!Map!

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!
11!and!Tables!16!and!17,!this!program!is!analyzed!across!the!7!PHAs!that!have!responded!to!a!
public!information!request!as!of!September!9,!2017.!

Like!the!previously!analyzed!housing!programs,!there!is!a!large!disparity!between!the!tiers!in!
the!number!of!households!using!an!HCV.!Table!16!shows!this!disparity!across!the!entire!
county,!while!Table!17!looks!at!this!disparity!for!each!PHA!individually.!Again,!while!Table!4!
shows!that!there!are!roughly!the!same!number!of!census!block!groups!in!Tiers!1!and!3,!and!a!
little!more!than!double!the!number!of!block!groups!in!Tier!2,!there!are!over!8!times!as!many!
HCV!holders!living!in!Tier!2!areas!than!Tier!3,!and!60!percent!more!HCV!holders!living!in!the!
high!poverty,!underinvested!unincorporated!areas!of!Hidalgo!County!than!in!the!urban,!higher!
opportunity!areas!in!Tier!3.!!

Table$16:$HCV$Locations$by$Neighborhood$Tier$in$Hidalgo$County$
Nbhd!Tier! Number!of! Percent!of!HCVs!
12
HCVs !
Tier!1! 882! 15%!
Tier!2! 4.596! 76%!
Tier!3! 549! 9%!
Total!HCVs! 6,027! 100%!

With!the!exception!of!Donna!(17%)!and!Hidalgo!County!(11%)!PHAs,!less!than!10!percent!of!
HCV!holders!in!each!PHA!jurisdiction!are!finding!housing!in!Tier!3!higher!opportunity!areas.!

Table$17:$HCV$Locations$by$PHA$by$Neighborhood$Tier$
! Public!Housing!Authority!
Hidalgo!
Nbhd!Tier! Donna! Edinburg! La!Joya! McAllen! Mercedes! Pharr!
County!
Tier!1! 25! 156! 112! 52! 0! 144! 0!
Tier!2! 189! 655! 520! 75! 1166! 135! 846!
Tier!3! 43! 93! 81! 7! 122! 17! 32!
Total!
257! 934! 742! 134! 1326! 325! 911!
HCVs13!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12
!From!Housing_tract_AFFHT0003_July2017.csv!of!AFFH!raw!data!download!
13
!Some!HCVs!administered!by!these!PHAs!may!be!located!outside!Hidalgo!County!

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!
Map$11:$Housing$Choice$Vouchers$by$Public$Housing$Authority$by$Neighborhood$Tier$

!
!Page!37!
!
Environmental,Justice,
The!environment!we!live!in!affects!peoples!lives!and!neighborhoods!in!multiple!ways.!Land!
uses!that!pose!an!environmental!nuisance!or!hazard!can!not!only!affect!peoples!health,!but!can!
generally!make!an!area!less!desirable!for!investment!and!negatively!affect!wealthAbuilding!for!
lowAincome!home!owners!affected!by!these!hazardous!facilities.!Refineries,!waste!water!
treatment!plants,!hazardous!waste!facilities,!and!contaminated!vacant!property!are!just!a!few!of!
the!kinds!of!land!uses!that!can!affect!the!communities!they!are!allowed!to!exist!in.!!

Most!of!these!sites!are!located!in!higherApoverty!areas!of!cities!in!Hidalgo!County,!as!well!as!in!
the!unincorporated!areas!where!most!colonias!are!found,!categorized!in!Tiers!1!and!2.!Table!18!
shows!the!results!of!analyzing!this!site!data!by!neighborhood!tier.!Map!12!visualizes!the!
locations!of!such!sites,!specifically!certain!facilities!regulated!by!the!US!Environmental!
Protection!Agency!(EPA)!and!Texas!Commission!on!Environmental!Quality!(TCEQ).!!

Table,18:,Total,Environmentally,Hazardous,Sites,by,Neighborhood,Tier,
Nbhd!Tier! Superfunds! Permitted! Wastewater! Municipal! Brownfields!
Hazardous! Outfalls! Solid!Waste!
Waste!Sites! Sites!
Tier!1! 1! 0! 15! 19! 0!
Tier!2! 0! 1! 24! 24! 7!
Tier!3! 0! 0! 1! 5! 0!

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Map,12:,Environmentally,Hazardous,Sites,in,Hidalgo,County,with,Neighborhood,Tiers,

Data,Analysis,Beyond,the,AFFHGT,
In!addition!to!the!issues!highlighted!by!data!provided!by!the!AFFHAT,!there!are!two!other!issues!
that!are!acute!in!parts!of!Hidalgo!County,!particularly!the!unincorporated!areas!where!most!
colonias!and!model!subdivisions!are!located,!that!this!report!examines.!

Storm,Water,Drainage,Infrastructure,
Drainage!issues!are!widespread!across!the!county.!In!unincorporated!areas,!however,!the!
infrastructure!is!often!of!poor!quality,!badly!maintained,!or!nonAexistent.!The!Hidalgo!County!
Drainage!District!#1!(HCDD1)!constructs!and!maintains!a!regional!system!for!drainage!serving!
most!developed!areas!of!the!county.!However,!the!system!can!only!benefit!those!who!live!in!
areas!connected!to!the!system!or!have!other!infrastructure!to!convey!water!out!of!their!
neighborhoods.!!

! 266!out!of!567!model!subdivisions!in!Hidalgo!County!are!more!than!!mile!from!the!
regional!system!(47%)!

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 ! 324!out!of!850!colonias!in!Hidalgo!County!are!more!than!!mile!from!the!regional!
system!(38%)!

Map,13:,Colonias,and,Model,Subdivisions,Located,More,Than,,mile,from,Regional,
Drainage,

A!drainage!study!led!by!the!Texas!Water!Development!Board!(TWDB)!in!2014!and!2015!
identified!404!colonias!across!Cameron,!Hidalgo,!and!Willacy!Counties!that!were!remotely!
analyzed,!surveyed,!and!prioritized!based!on!the!severity!of!perceived!flooding!problems.14!
Roughly!threeAfourths!of!these!surveyed!colonias!are!located!in!Hidalgo!County.!The!issues!
identified!included!insufficient!or!missing!infrastructure!within!the!colonia,!improper!grading!
between!roads!and!private!property,!missing!or!obstructed!outlets!for!conveying!storm!water!out!
of!the!colonia,!regional!waterways!overflowing!their!banks!and!flooding!nearby!colonias,!and!
standing!water!issues,!among!others.!!

The!study!assigned!a!solution!category!which!related!to!the!type!of!drainage!problems!
experienced!in!a!colonia.!The!A!categories!meant!that!the!issues!were!a!result!of!
infrastructure!or!grading!deficiencies!within!the!colonia.!In!Hidalgo!County,!203!colonias!were!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
14
!Stormwater!Drainage!Planning:!The!Colonias!of!the!Lower!Rio!Grande!Valley!(LRGV),!Phase!1B!Report.!
Commissioned!by!Texas!Water!Development!Board,!July!2015.!

!Page!40!
!
categorized!in!this!way.!The!B!categories!meant!that!the!issues!were!a!result!of!a!regional!
waterway!conveying!water!into!the!colonia.!ThirtyAeight!colonias!were!found!to!be!affected!by!
regional!flooding!issues.!These!categories!were!modified!by!a!1!or!2!indicating!the!presence!
of!structure!flooding!or!nuisance!flooding,!respectively.!The!Phase!1B!Report!contains!more!
information!about!this!study.!

Maps!14!through!17!display!the!locations!of!the!surveyed!colonias,!which!are!symbolized!by!
their!solution!category.!These!maps!are!scaled!by!county!precinct.!Colonias!circled!in!orange!
and!listed!are!those!which!are!expected!to!benefit!from!projects!underway!that!are!funded!by!
bonds!or!disaster!recovery!money!received!after!Hurricane!Dolly!struck!the!area!in!2008.!!

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!
!

Map,14:,TWDB,Solution,Categories,for,Surveyed,Colonias,,Hidalgo,Precinct,1,,

!Page!42!
!
 !

Map,15:,TWDB,Solution,Categories,for,Surveyed,Colonias,,Hidalgo,Precinct,2,

!Page!43!
!
Map,16:,TWDB,Solution,Categories,for,Surveyed,Colonias,,Hidalgo,Precinct,3,

!Page!44!
!
Map,17:,TWDB,Solution,Categories,for,Surveyed,Colonias,,Hidalgo,Precinct,4,

!Page!45!
!
Map!18!highlights!the!colonias!where!residents!reported!having!standing!water!last!for!three!or!
more!days.!This!can!pose!both!a!nuisance!and!health!risk,!as!mosquitoes!can!proliferate!any!
may!spread!diseases!such!as!Zika!virus.!There!were!93!colonias!identified!in!Hidalgo!County!
that!reported!this!issue,!and!90!of!them!are!located!in!the!two!higher!poverty!tiers.!

Map,18:,TWDBGSurveyed,Colonias,with,Standing,Water,Issues,Lasting,3,or,More,Days,

Public,Streetlighting,
Another!issue!facing!unincorporated!colonias!and!model!subdivisions!is!the!provision!of!public!
streetlighting.!These!areas,!as!illustrated!well!in!Map!19,!are!completely!dark!in!many!cases,!
which!poses!a!safety!hazard!to!residents!of!these!underserved!areas.!A!small!program!was!
initiated!in!2015!and!led!to!the!installation!of!115!lights!in!10!colonias.!The!cost!for!this!
infrastructure!can!be!seen!in!Table!19.!

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!
Table,19:,Public,Streetlighting,Expenditures,in,Hidalgo,County15,
Subdivision! Total! Total! Infrastructure! Setup!Cost! Fee!per! Annual!
Lots! Lights! Costs! resident! Subdivision!
Fee!
GOOLIE!
161! 19! $!4,061.34!! $!475.00!! $!20.58!! $!3,313.38!!
MEADOWS!I!&!II!
LUCERO!DEL!
56! 9! $!593.13!! $!200.00!! $!27.74!! $!1,553.44!!
NORTE!
ELDORA!
HEIGHTS!I!,!II,! 340! 30! $!A!!!! $!755.00!! $!12.29!! $!4,178.60!!
III!
EDUARDO'S!#8! 56! 17! $!A!!!! $!485.65!! $!56.13!! $!3,143.28!!
MI!SUENO! 36! 7! $!A!!!! $!146.94!! $!37.68!! $!1,356.48!!
PUEBLO!DE!
110! 17! $!A!!!! $!A!!!! $!27.31!! $!3,004.10!!
PALMAS!10!
PUEBLO!DE!
104! 16! $!A!!!! $!A!!!! $!26.80!! $!2,787.20!!
PALMAS!11!
!
!

!
!

!
!

!
!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15
!Public!Information!Request!received!from!Hidalgo!Countys!Public!Lighting!Program,!August!16,!2017!

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Map,19:,Satellite,view,of,McAllen,,Texas,Area,and,Colonias16,

Recommendations,and,Comments,on,County,AFH,Plan,
!

From%Texas%Low%Income%Housing%Information%Service:%
Recommended%Action%Steps%to%Implement%Hidalgo%County%AFH%Plan

Historical!governmental!practices!by!counties,!cities!and!public!housing!authorities!in!Hidalgo!County!have!
created!and!to!this!day!maintain!unlawful!residential!segregation!into!the!three!types!of!separate!and!unequal!
neighborhoods!that!we!describe!in!our!comments.!These!practices!were!first!adopted!years!ago!by!Anglo!
political!leaders!in!an!era!when!discrimination!on!the!basis!of!national!origin!and!skin!color!were!sometimes!
official.!While!many!of!todays!political!leaders!in!Hidalgo!County!are!MexicanAAmerican,!they!govern!a!region!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16
!Created!by!Michal!Breier,!2014!
!Page!48!
!
where!residential!segregation!still!widely!persists.!Many!of!the!policies!put!in!place!to!establish!and!maintain!
segregation!and!inequalities!years!ago!continue!to!maintain!inequality!between!Valley!residents!today.

Remedying!residential!segregation!and!inequality!requires:

A.! Assessing!and!acknowledging!the!problem!which!is!the!purpose!of!this!AFH!processk!
B.! Overcoming!residential!segregation!through!policies!that!promote!residential!integrationk!
C.! Remediating!harms!segregated!and!substandard!neighborhoods!have!done!to!residents.!

We!request!the!governmental!parties!in!this!AFH!plan!each!commit!to!the!following!action!steps.!Authority!to!
undertake!individual!action!steps!may!fall!on!different!parties.!Yet,!it!is!vital!that!all!parties!make!a!joint!and!
concerted!commitment,!including!setting!deadlines,!to!implement!these!actions.

A.! Assess!and!acknowledge!the!problem!of!residential!segregation!and!inequality!in!Hidalgo!
County.!
1.! Assess!and!estimate!public!infrastructure!needs!at!the!neighborhood/colonia!level!(drainage,!
streetlights,!sidewalks,!streets,!parks,!etc.).!
2.! Establish!a!county!task!force!with!immigrant!advocacy!organizations!to!assess!and!develop!a!
plan!to!mitigate!the!vulnerability!and!harms!to!documented!and!undocumented!immigrants!living!
in!isolated,!lowerAopportunity!segregated!neighborhoods.!
3.! Conduct!a!county!landAuse!study!to!assess!suitability!and!supply!of!land!for!affordable!housing!
development.!
4.! Conduct!a!county!and!local!jurisdictional!level!review!of!development!plans,!policies!and!
practices!to!promote!residential!integration!and!access!of!lowAincome!people!to!high!opportunity!
areas.!
5.! Prepare!a!countyAwide!environmental!risk!assessment!and!environmental!hazard!mitigation!
plans!for!lowAincome!neighborhoods!
6.! Undertake!a!regional!transportation!study!to!assess!public!transit!needs!and!availability!for!lowA
income!neighborhoods!and!identify!funding!to!overcome!the!isolation!of!colonias!and!lowA
income!neighborhoods!to!jobs,!education!and!essential!services.!
7.! In!cooperation!with!the!University!of!Texas!Rio!Grande!Valley!(UTRGV),!establish!an!ongoing,!
faculty!and!student!involved!research!and!community!dialogue!to!assess!and!understand!the!
extent,!causes!and!harms!of!residential!segregation.!!
8.! Establish!a!committee!of!the!Lower!Rio!Grande!Valley!Development!Council!to!study!and!make!
recommendations!to!eliminate!the!residential!isolation!of!Valley!residents!on!the!basis!of!race,!
color!and!national!origin!and!promote!the!adoption!of!remediation!policies!and!practices!of!cities!
and!counties.!
9.! Document!the!per!capita!under!allocation!for!federal!housing!funds!to!Hidalgo!County!and!its!
cities!relative!to!the!rest!of!the!country!and!advocate!for!a!fair!share!of!housing!subsidy!funds!to!
HUD!and!Congress.!
10.!Assess!the!public!safety!and!security!needs!of!colonias!and!advocate!that!funds!for!these!
purposes!be!included!in!state!and!federal!border!protection!initiatives.!
11.!With!the!UTRGV!School!of!Public!Health!and!Medical!School!develop!a!public!health!indicators!
and!risks!assessment!project!in!colonias!and!lowAincome!neighborhoods.!Study!and!test!for!
lead!and!other!contaminates!in!water!supplies,!asthma,!frequencies!of!mosquitoAborne!
pathogens!(ZIKA,!Dengue!Fever,!West!Nile,!etc.)!and!general!health!issues.!Identify!funding!for!
education!and!remediation!strategies!designed!to!be!effective!in!colonias!and!impoverished!
urban!neighborhoods.!
12.!Support!establishment!at!UTRGV!a!multidisciplinary!border!life!public!policy!research!institute!to!
study!and!propose!solutions!to!issues!of!inequality!along!the!USAMexico!border.!

!Page!49!
!
 B.! Overcome!residential!segregation!by!adopting!policies!that!promote!residential!integration.!
1.! Establish!a!policy!to!prioritize!the!development!of!affordable!owner!and!renter!occupied!
housing,!affordable!to!extremely!lowA!and!very!lowAincome!households!in!urban!High!
Opportunity!Areas.!
2.! Operate!a!Housing!Choice!Voucher!mobility!program!to!support!voucher!holders!to!be!able!to!
obtain!quality!housing!in!High!Opportunity!Areas.!
3.! Governing!bodies!should!designate!High!Opportunity!Areas!as!locations!where!they!will!provide!
formal!support!for!applications!for!rental!housing!developed!with!Low!Income!Housing!Tax!
Credits.!
4.! McAllen,!Mission!and!Weslaco!should!develop!affordable!housing!plans!that!identify!High!
Opportunity!Areas!for!affordable!rental!and!ownerAoccupied!housing,!increase!the!amount!of!
land!zoned!for!multifamily!housing!in!those!areas!and!develop!city!incentives!for!increasing!the!
supply!of!affordable!housing.!
5.! CDBG!funds!should!be!used!exclusively!for!the!development!of!affordable!housing!and!the!
provision!of!missing!infrastructure!in!colonias!and!lowAincome!urban!communities.!The!county!
and!local!units!of!government!should!set!aside!local!revenue!to!funds!social!services!now!being!
funded!with!CDBG.!
6.! Conduct!an!inventory!of!vacant!and!underutilized!public!land!in!High!Opportunity!Areas!and!
permit!that!land!to!be!developed!for!affordable!housing.!
7.! Financially!support!nonprofit!housing!providers!to!provide!urban!inAfill!affordable!housing!(owner!
and!rental)!to!both!Extremely!Low!Income!and!Very!LowAIncome!households!on!vacant!and!
underutilized!property!in!High!Opportunity!Areas.!
8.! Establish!a!small!subdivision!and!infill!urban!Mi!Casita!housing!program!in!High!Opportunity!
neighborhoods!based!on!the!program!of!the!Brownsville!CDC.!
9.! Provide!additional!financial!support!to!McAllen!Affordable!Housing!and!Proyecto!Azteca!to!
construct!homes!for!Extremely!Low!Income!and!Very!LowAIncome!households!in!High!
Opportunity!neighborhoods.!
10.!Modernize,!provide!oneAforAone!replacement!and!economically!integrate!public!housing!through!
appropriate!RAD!conversion!and!other!strategies.!
11.!Adopt!more!aggressive!property!tax!exemptions!targeting!Extremely!Low!Income!and!Very!LowA
Income!homeowners!to!protect!their!ability!to!afford!to!live!in!urban!high!opportunity!areas.!
12.!Establish!and!enforce!strong!subdivision!standards!for!new!developments!that!provide!for!high!
levels!of!flood!protection,!streetlights,!parks!and!full!levels!of!quality!public!services.!
13.!Monitor!and!oversee!developer!compliance!with!infrastructure!standards!in!subdivisions!
developed!under!the!Model!Subdivision!Standards.!
14.!Advocate!for!the!fair!allocation!of!Federal!housing!subsidies!for!jurisdictions!in!Hidalgo!County.!
15.!Adopt!a!substantially!equivalent!fair!housing!ordinance!for!Hidalgo!County!and!fund!a!
complaint,!investigation!and!enforcement!office.!
16.!Seek!funding!for!a!nonAprofit!fair!housing!testing!and!investigation!center!from!HUD.!

C.! Remediate!the!harms!segregated!and!substandard!neighborhoods!have!done!to!residents.!
1.! Establish!a!Tax!Increment!Finance!(TIF)!in!the!county!to!provide!remedial!infrastructure!to!
colonias.!
2.! Improve!neighborhood!resident!civic!engagement!to!better!understand!problems!of!colonias!and!
other!impoverished!areas!by!adopting!a!Limited!English!Proficiency!(LEP)!initiative!to!provide!
English/Spanish!translation!services!at!meetings!of!governmental!bodies.!
3.! Provide!a!program!to!prioritize!basic,!essential!public!safety!in!colonias!and!lowAincome!urban!
areas!by!providing!in!every!community:!1)!Safe!Pathways!to!Schools!(sidewalks),!2)!streetlights,!
3)!fire!hydrants!and!4)!regional!sheriff!and!fire!protection!substations!to!reduce!response!time!to!
colonias!to!state!standards.!
4.! Adopt!and!fund!a!county!Mi!Casita!incremental!homebuilding!and!finance!program!based!on!the!
program!operated!by!the!Brownsville!CDC.!
5.! Establish!a!county!revolving!loan!fund!to!finance!ownerAoccupied!housing!repair.!

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!
 6.! Based!on!the!Texas!Water!Development!Board!(TWDB)!study!of!Hidalgo!County!colonia!
drainage!needs,!prioritize!current!and!future!county!bonds!for!the!rapid!buildout!of!colonia!level!
infrastructure.!
7.! Amend!the!Valley!regional!drainage!plan!to!include!the!TWDB!Hidalgo!County!colonia!drainage!
needs!in!the!plan!as!an!equal!priority!with!the!regional!drains.!!
8.! Aggressively!promote!and!incentivize!developer!use!of!low!impact!drainage!principles!in!new!
subdivisions.!
9.! For!all!new!subdivisions,!adopt!as!county!standard!a!25Ayear!internal!drainage!standard!and!a!
100Ayear!and!runoff!detention!for!a!100Ayear!event!so!that!peak!discharges!are!no!more!than!
the!preAdevelopment!peak!flows!for!the!corresponding!storms.!This!will!help!prevent!new!and!
existing!colonias!from!flooding!worse!than!they!do!at!this!time.!
10.!Work!with!the!Texas!Legislature!to!secure!zoning,!full!building!code!and!landAuse!authority!for!
the!county.!
11.!Provide!adequate!funding!to!institute!a!complete!residential!building!code!inspection!program!
for!all!residential!units!constructed!in!Hidalgo!County.!
12.!Provide!aggressive!mosquito!borne!illness!monitoring!in!lowAincome!neighborhoods,!provide!
expansive!mosquito!vector!control!and!establish!a!funded!initiative!to!provide!window!and!door!
screens!free!of!charge!to!extremely!low!and!very!lowAincome!owner!and!renter!households.!
13.!Better!prioritize!federal!block!grants!for!essential!housing!and!infrastructure!projects.!
14.!Provide!funding!to!Texas!Rio!Grande!Legal!Aid!to!represent!colonia!residents!in!claims!against!
developers!for!failing!to!provide!adequate!infrastructure!and!to!represent!tenants!against!
landlords!over!substandard!rental!units.!
15.!Assess!and!expand!public!transportation!access!between!lowAincome!communities,!
employment!centers,!critical!services!and!high!opportunity!areas.!
16.!Implement!a!cooperative!agreement!with!the!school!districts!to!adopt!an!open!enrollment!policy!
for!schools,!publicize!data!of!school!quality!and!offer!free!transportation!to!any!student!who!
wishes!to!transfer!from!a!school!that!has!failed!to!meet!state!standards!to!a!standard!or!high!
performing!school!of!their!choice.!
17.!Cities!should!conduct!an!evaluation!of!land!uses!and!especially!public!facilities!and!provide!for!
the!remediation!and!relocation!of!noxious!public!facilities!(e.g.!sewer!lagoons,!etc.).!
18.!Cities!should!be!required!in!provide!storm!water!runoff!detention!for!a!100Ayear!event!so!that!
peak!discharges!are!no!more!than!the!preAdevelopment!peak!flows!for!a!100Ayear!storm!event.!
This!will!prevent!the!overuse!of!regional!storm!water!capacity!by!urban!areas,!freeing!up!
capacity!for!new!and!existing!colonia!storm!water!and!city!funds!for!downstream!drainage!
impact.!
19.!Replace!the!equal!division!of!county!drainage,!road!and!bridge!funds!with!a!needsAbased!
allocation!system!to!allocate!funds!through!a!formula!based!on!precinctAlevel!critical!
infrastructure!needs.!
20.!Establish!a!needsAbased!formula!for!the!award!of!the!Hidalgo!County!Urban!County!share!of!
CDBG!funds!that!prioritizes!critical!housing!and!infrastructure!projects.!
21.!Adopt!sanctuary!county!/!sanctuary!city!policies!across!the!county.!
22.!Establish!a!regional!colonia!issues!and!oversight!committee!to!advise!city!councils!and!county!
commissioners!on!issues!and!needs!of!the!disadvantaged!communities.!
23.!Large!cities!in!the!county!(McAllen,!Edinburg,!Mission!and!Weslaco)!should!each!establish!a!
community!development!commission!to!advice!their!respective!city!council!or!city!commission!
on!the!issues!and!needs!of!residents!of!these!communities.!!The!commissions!should!be!
composed!of!twoAthirds!elected!representatives!from!lowAincome!communities!within!their!
jurisdictions!and!oneAthird!other!concerned!officials!and!citizens!and!should!meet!in!a!work!
session!twice!each!year!with!the!members!of!the!city!council!city!commission.!
24.!All!governmental!bodies!in!the!county!should!provide!Spanish!language!translation!services!at!
public!meeting!and!public!hearings!to!permit!persons!with!Limited!English!Proficiency!to!make!
their!need!known!and!to!participate!in!their!democracy.!
! !

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!
Community%Recommendations%%
LUPE%and%ARISE%are%TxLIHIS%organizing%partners%and%represent%residents%of%the%colonias.%Here!are!their!
recommended!Priorities!to!include!in!Hidalgo!County!AFH!Plan%
Drainage!

! Identify!colonias!and!lowAincome!subdivisions!with!inadequate!drainage!and!flooding!conditions!and!
prioritize!according!to!flood!risk/need!for!infrastructure!improvements.!!
! Monitor!substandard!drainage!infrastructure!and!public!facilities!in!cities!and!the!unincorporated!county.!
! Equitably!distribute!funding!and!resources!to!colonias!and!lowAincome!subdivisions!identified!as!
needing!internal!and!localized!drainage!solutions.!
! Amend!the!Model!Subdivision!Rules!to!create!a!higher!standard!of!25!years!for!the!drainage!
infrastructure!in!new!subdivisions.!
!

Public!Lighting!

! Identify!colonia!and!lowAincome!subdivision!with!inadequate!or!missing!public!lighting!infrastructure!in!
the!municipalities!and!county!and!prioritize!according!to!community!interest!in!receiving!and!paying!for!
the!public!service.!
! Create!a!line!item!in!the!Hidalgo!County!budget!for!the!installation!of!service!of!street!light!in!colonias!
and!LMI!subdivisions!in!the!unincorporated!county.!!
! Amend!the!Model!Subdivision!Rules!to!mandate:!
o! public!lighting!infrastructure!(poles,!transformer,!light,!etc.)!in!front!of!newly!subdivided!
properties!
o! developers!pay!a!one!year!escrow!for!the!public!lighting!service.!
Housing!

! Prepare!and!implement!local!plans!to!identify!and!prioritize!affordable!single!family!and!multiAfamily!
housing!in!High!Opportunity!Areas!(HOAs).!
! Create!an!incremental!home/financing!program!for!low!income!county!residents!(Example:!Mi!Casita!
Loan)!
! Create!a!countyAwide!program!to!identify!substandard!homes!through!an!inclusive!outreach!process!
that!pairs!them!with!housing!assistance!programs.!
! Adopt!equal!standards!and!facilities!for!city!and!county!subdivisions!and!impose!legal!actions!on!
developers!do!not!follow!standards.!
! Create!programs!for!title!clearance!and!wills!!
!
Environmental!Justice!

! Identify!colonia!and!lowAincome!subdivisions!near!environmental!hazards.!
o! Identify!local,!state!and!federal!agency!enforcement!plan!or!actions.!!
Immigration!

! Support!and!pass!proAimmigrant!ordinances!and!resolutions!against!SB!4!and!the!Border!Wall.!!!
!

General!Accessibility!

! Provide!English/Spanish!translation!at!public!meetings!
! Establish!an!Hidalgo!County!colonia!improvement!commission!that!includes!residents!of!colonias!who!
can!give!input!and!suggestions!for!improving!colonia!conditions.!
! Establish!city!community!development!commissions!that!includes!city!residents!who!can!give!input!and!
suggestions!for!improving!their!barrios!

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!
!

Recommended%Priorities%to%Implement%Hidalgo%County%AFH%Plan%with%comments%from%TxLIHIS%and%community%
!
To!increase!access!to!affordable!housing!via!homeownership!opportunities!and/or!securing!safe!and!
decent!rental!housing.:!!

! Increase!of!3%!utilization!rate!through!2022!
! Increase!in!30!affordable!housing!units!annually!
!

To!preserve!and!rehabilitate!the!region's!existing!single!family!housing!stock:!

! Rehabilitation!or!reconstruction!of!45!housing!units!annually!
A! Comment:%single%family?%multi%family?%affordable%at%what%income%level?%In%high%opportunity%areas?%
!
To!improve!the!living!conditions!and!increase!access!to!areas!of!opportunity!for!residents!of!Hidalgo!
County.!!

! Partner!with!LRGVDC!to!support!goals!and!projects!identified!within!the!providers!long!term!
strategy.!
A! Comment:%What%is%the%LRGVDC's%long%term%strategy?%
! Program!participants!will!annually!review!available!resources!and!attempt!to!ameliorate!any!
disparities!
A! Comment:%Program%participants%will%annually%identify%and%map%the%affordable%housing%stock%and%the%
areas%of%high%opportunities%and%in%their%jurisdiction%and%ETJ.%
!
To!improve!housing!and!supportive!services!to!the!region's!residents!who!face!lack!of!access!to!
quality!housing:!

! BiAannually!conduct!housing!related!classes!
! Conduct!8!Landlord!training/outreach!events!
! Encourage!similarly!funded!entities!to!collaborate!and!streamline!processes!
A! Comment:%Don't%just%encourage,%but%set%goals%towards%integrating%or%streamline%different%processes%
or%data%collection/reporting%methods.%For%example,%the%way%that%PHA's%collect%resident%information%
can%be%streamlined%and%implemented%by%all%PHA's.%
!
To!preserve,!provide!and!improve!social!services!for!residents!including!those!with!special!needs,!
elderly,!physically!disabled!and!victims!of!domestic!violence:!

! Financially!support!40!nonprofit!agencies!annually!
A! Comment:%Why%not%base%number%of%nonprofit%agencies%on%the%community%priorities%and%what%kind%of%
limitations%do%they%have%on%the%services,%what%kind%of%services%are%eligible%and%which%are%not?%
!

To!expand!economic!opportunities!in!Hidalgo!County:!

! Partner!with!Texas!Workforce!Solutions!to!provide!additional!outreach!services!through!annual!
communication!
! Support!goals!and!projects!identified!within!providers!long!term!strategy!
! 10!communication/coordination/outreach!efforts!to!local!Economic!Development!Corporations!or!
Chambers!of!Commerce!
A! Comment:%What%will%these%communication%effort/outreach,%etc.%look%like?%Will%they%have%a%specific%
!Page!53!
!
 theme%or%focus%on%specific%communities?%
!
To!provide!accessible!public!facilities!and!infrastructure!improvements!in!an!effort!to!provide!access!
for!all!persons!

! 20!projects!annually!which!improve!public!facilities/!infrastructure!to!assure!access!for!all!
A! Comment:%What%kind%for%project?%and%what%do%they%mean%by%access%for%all%
To!ensure!access!to!quality!education!and!transportation!services:!

! Support!goals!and!projects!identified!within!school!and!transportation!service!providers!longAterm!
strategies!
A! Comment:%Work%with%LRGVDC%to%review%their%master%plan%and%include%connecting%___%colonias%in%
RECAPS%by%creating%____%bus%stops%with%a%year.%
A! Are%those%long%term%strategies%going%to%ameliorate%the%issues%of%access?%If%so%how?%
! Increase!the!amount!of!renter!owned!affordable!housing!near!good!schools.!
!

To!identify!and!strengthen!measures!to!ameliorate!discriminatory!practices!for!protected!classes:!

! Continue/strengthen!PHA!mobilization!opportunities!
! Partner/continue!partnerships!with!agencies!whose!field!of!interest!provides!these!services%
A! Comment:%Could%include%UTRGV%and%should%include%financial%literacy%and%real%estate%services.%
Engage%UTRGV%in%policy%expertise%on%colonias%and%barrios%
! Provide!support,!including!financial,!to!the!efforts!and!initiatives!of!agencies!that!support!housing!
choice!
! Create!a!Fair!Housing!information!and!resource!web!page!by!2019!

,
! !

!Page!54!
!
!

Appendix:,Table:,Opportunity,Index,for,the,Entitlement,Jurisdictions,
!

!Page!55!
!