oakhillgazette.com
January 9, 2014 Volume 19, No. 1 Southwest Austin’s Community Newspaper Since 1995
New affordable housing planned for Oak Hill by Bobbie Jean Sawyer
OAK HILL - Foundation Communities, a non-profit organization devoted to providing affordable housing throughout the city, is applying for funds to expand Southwest Trails apartments by 60 units on an eightacre plot of land between Highway 71 and the current location at 8405 Old Bee Caves Road in Oak Hill.
“We’ve got land under contract that’s adjacent to us,” said Walter Moreau, executive director of Foundation Communities. “We’re just at the beginning stage so we haven’t got our site planning and engineering done.” The Southwest Trails apartments, which were completed in 2001 as the first affordable housing in South-
west Austin, are made up of 160 apartments designated for working families in a $20,000 to $40,000 yearly income range. Rent is about $700 per month for a two-bedroom unit, Moreau said. “Most of our families are working and everybody pays rent. It’s not Section 8 housing. It’s not public housing,” Moreau said. “We think it’s
really important to still have some very well-maintained, first class affordable housing that can serve Southwest Austin.” Moreau said Southwest Trails has established itself as an integral part of Oak Hill. “We really love Oak Hill and we’ve been part of the community. OHAN (Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods) supported Southwest Trails 12 years ago, so since we’re at the beginning of the process, we really are asking for the neighborhood support again,” Moreau said. “We’re very proud of our track record. We’re not coming into the neighborhood from some place else. We’ve been here.” Affordable housing has been an issue at the forefront of local politics. In November, Austin residents voted in favor of a $65 million affordable housing bond.
Moreau said the vote is indicative of voters’ growing awareness of Austin’s housing problem. “For all of our new developments we’ve had a funding gap. The bonds have helped to fill that gap,” Moreau said. “I think this election voters have had more time and paid attention to see how the housing bonds are spent.” Moreau said due to an increased See NEW on page 5
TxDOT grants a little more time to save tree by Bobbie Jean Sawyer
Gazette: Emmeline Aguirre
Bowie’s Jake Walton (54) shoots over Jeremy Mantia (3) of Austin High. More sports on page 12.
OAK HILL - The 130-year-old Heritage Oak at the intersection of William Cannon and U.S. 290 has been granted another reprieve by TxDOT. The Oak Hill community now has until Jan. 15 to raise the additional $14,000 needed to remove and transplant the tree out of the way of TxDOT’s planned renovations at the intersection. Michael Fossum, executive director of the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation, said the extended deadline was due to construction delays. In mid-November, a feasibility study conducted by a team of certified experts, including the city arborist, determined that the tree was able to be transplanted across
The ‘Taco Bell’ tree at William Cannon and Hwy. 290. Supporters must raise $14,000 by January 15. U.S. 290 to a location west of the Shell station. The Austin Heritage Tree Foundation obtained a new grant from the city of Austin that replaced the previous $57,000 grant, Fossum said. See TXDOT on page 3