Pledge to Vote for Colonias!

There are over 1,000 colonias in the Rio Grande Valley. Over 200,000 residents live in these unincorporated neighborhoods that lack basic infrastructure like streetlights and adequate drainage. Let’s begin changing that with our voices, and with our votes.

We can make county officials pay attention to colonias if they see that lots of voters care about colonia issues like streetlights and drainage. Right now it looks like at least one county commissioner race will be decided by only around 1,000 votes. If those 1,000 voters say they care about colonias issues, don’t you think county commissioners will take note?

Make your commitment to vote for colonias issues today!

Join LUPE’s vote campaign to improve our Valley! We call on voters throughout Hidalgo County to show their support for colonia issues by filling out our voter pledge. The pledge says, “Today, I make my commitment for my family, community and country. In these elections, I will vote for: Streetlights, Drainage for all, Drivers licenses for all, Equality in investment in neighborhood infrastructure, Recovery of unpaid wages.”

With a race as close as 1,000 votes, every voter has the opportunity to impact the positions of the candidates. If we can show the commissioners our voter pledge demonstrating 1,000 voters that care about colonia issues, you bet they are going to do what they can to show their support for colonias. And colonias will be able to influence the position of the commissioner, no matter who wins.

Join your voice with colonia residents by making your commitment to vote for colonias today.

The fruits of our labor – Disaster recover funds finally reach Valley colonias

Doña Maria Gomez poses in front of her new home constructed with disaster recovery funds

After all these years, we are finally seeing the fruits of our labor. LUPE members who suffered from flooding and damage by Hurricane Dolly are starting to receive repairs to their homes. Thanks to an organized effort from colonia residents, along with LUPE and the Equal Voice Network over the past five years, the federal government disaster recovery program has begun distributing $122 million to help residents, with a focus on the most needy families.

While these funds have been set aside for RGV residents for some time now, this year we were finally able to pressure local and state government officials charged with managing the federal funds to create a clear plan for using the millions of dollars to assist low income communities make repairs on their homes.

LUPE leader Maria Gomez was one of the first to receive a brand new house after applying for these disaster recovery funds. LUPE organizers are now working to make sure that more colonia families apply for the funds and benefit from of our hard work.

Looking back with joy, looking forward with hope

A message from LUPE Executive Director Juanita Valdez-Cox:

Dear friends,

The year is winding down and holidays are right around the corner. As you prepare for time with family, office parties, gift giving, or just relaxing over the días festivos, we invite you to look back on all that we’ve accomplished together this year. Thanks to our staff, volunteers, allies, donors and supporters like you, La Union del Pueblo Entero has had a number of amazing victories. Here’s just a sample:

– After an 8 year campaign, won the installation of streetlights in 13 Hidalgo County colonias. Organizing with the Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE) initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, LUPE members worked with Hidalgo County Commissioners and their precinct staff to fund and install the first of what we hope will be many more streetlights to come.

– With great joy and fighting spirit, around 800 members of LUPE and sister organizations marched through the streets of San Juan to celebrate the birthday of Cesar Chavez and, at the same time, the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Farm Workers.

International Human Rights Day: Our Declaration of Human Rights

Declaration of Human Rights

Convention Equal Voice for Human Rights
November 30, 2012

Community Center, Precinct #2
1429 S Tower Rd
Alamo, TX 78516

The power of human rights lies in the simple but profound idea that we all have basic rights solely by virtue of our humanity. Each individual, family and community should live in equality, dignity and freedom, with the power to participate and shape government policies and institutions that affect our lives.

Love is an emotional need that we all have. Love for thy neighbor and mutual aid leads us to the point that we all take responsibility to defend and take care of each other.

The right to have good jobs with fair wages is important because it is necessary to provide healthy food, decent housing and opportunities for the family.

It is very important to have immigration reform. We deserve to have our families united and that is why we reject separation of families. As part of reform, we should have equal access to the services we need for a dignified life, regardless of immigration status. For example, a driver’s license, an education for our children and our parents, health care and public services.

Education is important to develop intellectually, for both youth and adults. A good education opens the doors to opportunities we need to live a dignified life.

To live a dignified life, we have to live in decent housing. We need proper housing with adequate infrastructure to protect us from floods and other natural disasters.

As each and every one of us lives on this planet, the right to live in dignity also means that the environment has to be cared for. It is not fair that some enjoy a healthy natural environment when others lack this.

Health is very important because with good health, we are ready to serve our families and communities. This is why we need comprehensive medical care, of the body and mind.

Our faith guides us in our daily lives. And because we are different people with different beliefs, the right to religion should be protected in our community.

We have the right that our representatives respond to our requests and take actions to ensure our needs are met. Representatives should represent everyone, regardless of socioeconomic level, sex, gender, religion, race, or immigration status.

As an organized community in dialogue with our neighbors and loved ones, we recognize that many of our basic needs are not taken into account.

Therefore, although each and every one of us has dignity, the fact that our needs are not taken into account affects our ability to live a dignified life. We believe that a just society should ensure a decent life for every individual, family and community.

Therefore we declare:

We all have human rights because we are all human beings.
We strive for:
• Fair jobs with just wages,
• An immigration reform that will treat us like human beings,
• An education that recognizes our diverse needs to develop intellectually with access to technology,
• Adequate housing that will protect our families
• Protection to our communities so they can live in peace with space to play and exercise
• Adequate and affordable health care, regardless of immigration status or socioeconomic levels

To achieve this new society, we need to start by making our commitment to work for it. We recognize our rights because we need them. However, we are denied them. That is where our participation comes in, to demand that our human rights are respected. We commit ourselves to work to create a society that respects our rights. We are guided by these principles as we aspire to a better world – universality, equality, protection of public goods, participation, transparency and accountability.

In the same manner, we welcome other members of the community, representatives of our city, county, state, and nation, businessmen and women, leaders of faith, and each person with sincerity, to also take the opportunity to make their commitment to work for human rights.

Approved and ratified on November 30, 2012, by participants of the Equal Voice for Human Rights convention.

Section 3 campaign victory!

They’re calling it the strongest Section 3 plan in the state. And a model for all of Texas. And we made it happen!

Section 3 is the federal law that requires that federal funds be used in benefit of the low income and working families of our area.

Early this year, we organized a petition campaign calling on the Council of Governments (CoG) to accept the Section 3 plan crafted by the Equal Voice Network with input from colonia residents for the use of federal disaster recovery funds meant to help get the families affected by Hurricane Dolly back on their feet.

While the CoG did not accept all of our plans, what they did accept is still the strongest Section 3 plan in the state.

The Monitor reports on the victory:

Take action for local jobs and local small businesses‏!

$122 million is what’s at stake.

$122 million in federal hurricane disaster recovery funds are heading to the Valley. We want local low income residents to be hired for the projects receiving federal assistance.

For that reason we are calling on the Council of Governments to require that URS, #267 of the 500 biggest companies in America and the firm that our local representatives have hired to manage the funds, adopt the Equal Voice Network’s plan for Section 3 compliance.

The Equal Voice Network is calling on our representatives to stand up and support our plan. Our plan asks URS and the Council of Governments to:

• Ensure that 30% of all work done with the Hurricane money is by local, low income people.
• Ensure that local small businesses can compete and get contracts for the work
• Ensure that local, low income people get construction training that will be useful to the improvement of the Valley in the future.
• Ensure that the training and hiring is monitored and therefore successful.

Take action for local people and local businesses now!

In the near future, the Council of Governments will make a decision on this issue: whether to allow URS to award contracts to companies with no oversight or accountability to local residents, or to implement the Equal Voice Network’s section 3 plan and put local, low income people and local businesses to work.

We’re collecting signatures from all over the RGV to show the Council of Governments that we’re serious about creating local jobs. The more signatures, the better. We want to show our representatives that we are aware of the issue and are counting on them to support local people and local business. The sooner we collect signatures, the faster the Council of Governments will consider our petition and put local, low income residents to work.

We’ve convinced the CoG to take colonia residents into account before. Now let’s show them that when it comes to creating opportunities for local, low income people we mean business.

Click here to urge the Council of Governments to adopt this plan!

$122 million in disaster recovery funds to benefit low income Valley residents

Planners meet with colonia residents to plan their ideal colonia. The team of community planners played a major role in getting colonias included in the LRGVDC outreach plan.

Thanks to an organized effort from colonia residents, along with LUPE and the Equal Voice Network, residents from across the Rio Grande Valley will receive assistance for housing damage repair that was caused by hurricane Dolly in 2008. The federal government disaster recovery program is distributing $122 million to help residents, taking into account to prioritize the lowest income families.

Residents from colonias in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties filled to capacity the three public hearings hosted by the LRGVDC (Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council) in Weslaco. After a well organized effort in the public hearings, major shifts from the LRGVDC’s outreach contractor were evident in their outreach map as many of the colonias were added for prioritization. Prior to the public hearings many colonias that were flooded and damaged were being excluded from prioritization by that contractor, but the residents’ presence and strong voices shifted that and proved to be another example that when neighbors organize with LUPE, they will see results.

We are now studying the requisites of the applications for assistance to better help educate and consult residents in the application process. We are still in the process of learning the specific qualifications for housing repair. If your house was damaged by hurricane Dolly, communicate with your organizer to find out if you can receive assistance.

Residents organizing with the Equal Voice Network win $14 million for drainage improvements in Hidalgo County colonias

Residents of Curry Estates meet with Marlene Chavez of TRLA and Daniel Diaz of LUPE to learn about county drainage projects in their area.

At last Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, Hidalgo County agreed to devote at least $14 million of Hurricane Dolly Disaster Recovery funds to colonias.

The victory came as a result of the work of ARISE, LUPE, TOP, Proyecto Azteca and the rest of the Equal Voice Network’s housing and drainage team, who have organized with colonia residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Dolly.

Colonia residents’ demand that disaster recovery funds go to colonias was backed by Texas Low Income Housing and Texas Apple Seed, who insisted that funding colonias was an absolute requirement for use of the federal funds.

In contrast to their original proposal, which included only one colonia, the county shifted $6.8 million to provide drainage for at least 10,000 people inside 30 colonias in the Delta, north of Peñitas, and in and near Hidalgo Park. The shift also means, instead of bypassing colonias, the several million dollars of the regional projects will now benefit colonias.

The specific colonias to be served are:

• Delta area: Bernal, Bernal Heights, Bar #3, Olivarez #9, Olivarez #7, Olivarez 18,Tiejerina Estates, Chapa North, Chapa South, Mesquite Acres, Acre Tract, Puesta Del Sol, Olivarez #4, Olivarez #10, Sunrise Hill;
• North of Peñitas; Puerta Blanca, Daniel Ozuna, Reina, Ramona;
• South of Pharr: Hidalgo Park, Los Ranchitos 1-3, Las Milpas, Las Fuentes, Las Brisas del Sur, Beto’s Acres, Las Haciendas, Palo Verde, H & B, Villas del Valle, Southfork Estates.

Additionally, the next $4.5 million available to the county must be spent for colonias.

This victory rests upon all of us putting our unique skills together: LUPE, ARISE, and TOP creating a county-wide issue by meeting their individual commissioners and holding community meetings with county and Economic Development Association / Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council staff; LUPE’s regular presence at commissioners court; Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s help with technical back up; John and Maddie’s insistence and support to fund colonias as an absolute requirement; and Proyecto Azteca’s intensely keeping up with all involved to move forward.

Flooding meetings bring residents, elected officials to the same table

Colonia residents are raising their voice regarding flooding–and being heard by their elected officials.

In a meeting between elected officials and engineers specializing in drainage, colonia residents rose concerns with flooding in their San Carlos colonias that lasts days after rain, affecting the daily life of residents.

“Even with a light rain the area floods,” says Leticia Parra, resident of colonia curry estates. After a rain, both streets providing access to the colonia entrance flood.

Flooding reaches from the entrance of the colonia, up to 5 houses in. The water reaches up to her car door, says Bonnie Medina, who does health outreach with the Center for Housing and Urban Development – Colonias Program, housed at the San Carlos Community Center.

ARISE, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Proyecto Azteca, the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service and other members of the Equal Voice Housing Working Group were present at the meeting. Daniel Diaz and Martha Sanchez, led the meeting, one of a series of such gatherings called to establish for county officials the gravity of the drainage troubles that have afflicted colonia residents for decades.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Joel Palacios, Raul Sesin of the Hidalgo County Planning Department, Mario Garcia, Program Administrator for the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, and several engineers and county officials listened to the testimonies of the colonia residents.

Commissioner Palacios (bottom left) explains drainage projects to residents of San Carlos colonias

After residents of Colonia Curry Estates laid out their concerns, Commissioner Palacios and his team addressed them one by one, saying that Precinct 4 has the people and money to work on the projects. Part of the problem, however, is that the swells that are clogged and blocking drainage to newly constructed holding ponds may be located on private property.

Commissioner Palacios said that the county has an engineer that will find out who owns the swells. “The problem is, it’s against the law for the county to enter into private property,” he said. “The thing is we have people that can do all the work, so we won’t have to wait until funds come, or anything like that.”

“Right now for the mean time, Raul [Sesin] will work on that, and if they are the county’s, right away we can enter.”

Colonia residents told Commissioner Palacios that they will be persistent with their concerns. Leticia Parra assured him: “If you don’t take us into account, we’ll be back.”

The neighborhood meeting is one of a series of steps organized by Equal Voice Housing organizers and Mr. Mario Garcia, the Economic Development Program Director for the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council. The meetings are organized for the purpose of including colonia-related drainage projects in the regional plans developed by the LRGV Development Council and County.

With LUPE, Colonia La Piñata Taking Steps Toward a Better Quality of Life

Walking up to house in colonia La Pinata, the high level of poverty is evident

Residents of Colonia La Piñata are eager to see changes in their colonia. After having their first meeting with LUPE last month, colonia residents have worked to bring newly elected Precinct 1 Commissioner Joel Quintanilla to their homes to see the reality of poverty that they face daily and ask for his word that he will work toward changes in their colonia.

With the help of LUPE organizer Daniel Diaz, La Piñata residents gained that visit on Monday June 27, 2011. Though the Commissioner arrived an hour late due to an overlapping appointment, colonia residents were eager to share their concerns with the elected county official.

The lack of resources in La Piñata was heavily evident, especially after the heavy rain that hit our region a few days prior to this meeting. The group of colonia residents expressed various concerns about their colonia community to the Commissioner as they fully took advantage of having the presence of the elected official in their colonia. A popular concern was the lack of light. Most residents expressed an increase in criminal activity and tie the problem to the lack of light during night hours. They also spoke to the commissioner about the flooding problem they have due to their lack of a proper drainage system.

When the commissioner was asked about these problems he responded saying “unfortunately we don’t have money to fix all the colonias in my precinct, it would take approximately 120 million dollars to effectively aid all 400 colonias in my precinct”. He continued, “I come from a poor background; I understand what it is to live in really bad conditions”. While the commissioner sounded compassionate, colonia residents are looking for his commitment to work with them to find solutions to the issues most concerning the colonia residents.

Colonia residents muy animados to organize with LUPE

A unique problem that faces La Piñata is the fact that it is owned by an individual. The commissioner promised that if the residents of la piñata organized a petition to meet with the owner, he would help find the owner and bring him to la colonia. Because the colonia is owned by an individual, the county commissioner has no authority to step in and fund projects such as better streets, drainage, and lights.

The commissioner also assured a solution in the issue of security by saying, “there will be an addition of county sheriffs that will be able to assist this colonia and surrounding areas, just give me a year to see the results”. He also offered quick changes by promising to put street signs and an effective cleanup of the colonia by July 9th. Colonia residents have reported that the county has already begun to install street signs.

Because of their action with LUPE, residents of La Piñata have already begun to see changes. They know, however, that much more work and commitment will be required to bring about bigger changes, like improved drainage and street lights. But residents are animados to continue building with LUPE toward a better quality of life in their colonia.