Recent News
Newsletters
News Archive

	Home Contact Us

News Release

For Immediate Release
September 9, 2005

Contact: Alida Tallman
512.447.7707 ext. 350
atallman@trla.org

WESLACO, Texas - In a promising development for small business entrepreneurs in some of the country's poorest counties, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is one of only five Texas-based organizations to receive the largest economic development grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The three-year, $400,000 grant will support ongoing outreach efforts to provide rural nonprofits the tools they need to better serve the economic interests of residents in the colonias and rural communities across Texas. HUD awarded the grant as one of 103 grants nationwide through its Rural Housing and Economic Development program.

As low-income entrepreneurs along the Texas-Mexico border and in rural communities across the state attempt to start new business ventures or maintain existing ones, rural nonprofits do their best to help provide advice regarding how to secure loans, rebuild credit and establish capital. Throughout Southwest Texas, colonia residents and other immigrant populations often lack the financial knowledge necessary to make their business pursuits a reality.

These issues in turn often raise a host of legal implications. Rural nonprofits and their clients often have little or no access to legal services in their areas, resulting in nonprofits needing critical legal orientation to effectively serve the needs of their clients.

"This HUD grant gives us the opportunity to make a palpable difference in the lives of those people working to create economic opportunities for themselves but lack the knowledge to do so," said Ashley Kosiewicz, TRLA's Development Associate.

Toward this end, the funds will support TRLA's pro bono business law project, Texas Community Building with Attorney Resources (Texas C-BAR). Texas C-BAR works to sharpen the business practices and legal knowledge of nonprofits creating affordable housing and economic development opportunities in low-income communities across the state. Texas C-Bar will provide pro bono referrals, trainings, free legal education, and expert business law advice.

For many in this region Texas C-BAR's referral program is their sole source for sound legal advice. The funds will also help support Texas C-BAR's online legal library, an additional resource for nonprofits that lack essential legal tools.

HUD's Rural Housing and Economic Development grants help support land acquisition, new home construction, housing demolition, infrastructure improvements and construction training. Other allocations include homeownership and financial counseling; financial assistance to homeowners, businesses and developers; creating micro enterprises and small business incubators; and, establishing lines of credit or revolving loan pools to benefit the local business community.

Established in 1970, TRLA is a nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income and disadvantaged clients in a 68-county service area that covers the southwestern third of the state, including the entire Texas-Mexico border region. TRLA's mission is to promote the dignity, self-sufficiency, safety and stability of low-income Texans by providing high quality civil legal assistance and related educational services.