Podcast Episode 26: Don’t eat the toxic fish
For decades, federal, state and local officials knew that the fish in Donna Lake in the Rio Grande Valley carriedContinue Reading
Tag: Rio Grande Valley
Cleanup of Donna Lake to officially commence in March, due to pressure from ARISE, LUPE, and local allies
Texas Housers has worked for years in the Rio Grande Valley, partnering with motivated organizations like LUPE and ARISE, toContinue Reading
Podcast episode 15: Sonido del Agua Part 2
If you want to change law and policy, you have to change people’s minds. And to change people’s minds, youContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 14: El Sonido del Agua Part I
Season 2 of our podcast is live, and it starts with a deep dive into a multi-year drainage campaign inContinue Reading
Colonia residents of Hidalgo County celebrate their language justice victory
Yesterday, Texas Housers joined community leaders in the Rio Grande Valley at a press conference to celebrate a major victoryContinue Reading
After years of resident advocacy, Hidalgo County adopts higher standards for drainage and streetlight infrastructure for new model subdivisions
Colonia residents in Hidalgo County have experienced far too much flooding and darkness, the dangerous symptoms of poorly-planned subdivisions whereContinue Reading
Disaster relief rolls out in the Rio Grande Valley; residents hope for just and fair process
(Home in Indian Hills colonia that experienced flooding after the June storms. Photo taken a week after the storms hit.)Continue Reading
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May 22, 2018
EPA unveils plan to address decades of poison and toxic fish in Donna Lake; public input accepted through June 5
This article originally ran on Neta, a bilingual multimedia platform based in the Rio Grande Valley where I am a staff content creator,Continue Reading
Raymondville Drain project means more more water capacity. But will all communities benefit?
State and County officials broke ground last week marking the start of construction on the long-awaited Raymondville Drain Project —Continue Reading
Rio Grande Valley youth one step closer in their campaign to “stop the smell”
Above: Leaders of the South Tower Power campaign at the City of Alamo Wastewater Treatment Plant. A Rio Grande ValleyContinue Reading
Fair housing assessment in Rio Grande Valley offers chance for residents to fight segregated conditions
Discrimination is not always obvious in the Rio Grande Valley. But now Hidalgo County residents have a chance to weigh in onContinue Reading
Governor’s cut of colonia oversight program will cost state and endanger residents
This piece originally ran as a column in The Monitor on June 25. For decades the State of Texas looked theContinue Reading
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May 17, 2017
One hundred years of poison: Why toxic fish still threaten Rio Grande Valley residents
This article originally ran on Neta, a bilingual multimedia platform based in the Rio Grande Valley where I am aContinue Reading
Rollback of colonia regulations at issue in two bills on border land sales
As the Texas Legislature swings into high gear, we’ll be covering committee hearings and votes on key bills related to housing.Continue Reading
Sign the petition to demand an end to chronic flooding in Hidalgo County colonias
I have the privilege of working alongside community members and grassroots leaders with A Resource In Serving Equality (ARISE) and La UniónContinue Reading
Grassroots leaders train to stop flooding in border colonias
The Land Use Colonia Housing Action (LUCHA) initiative has made some big strides in the past year. At Texas HousersContinue Reading
Colonia residents launch drainage campaign in Hidalgo County
Colonia leaders organized with La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) and A Resource In Serving Equality (ARISE), and proudly supportedContinue Reading
After first local Zika transmission, state and local officials must act to protect Rio Grande Valley
The first local transmission of the Zika virus in the state of Texas, and just the second in the country,Continue Reading
Smithsonian design museum opens exhibit featuring innovative Texas disaster recovery program
The title of the new exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City sums up theContinue Reading
Lack of drainage in Rio Grande Valley colonias creates breeding ground for Zika virus
This piece originally ran as a column in the McAllen newspaper, The Monitor, on September 12, 2016. Pictured above: Lot flooding after a regularContinue Reading
First-ever colonia disaster recovery conference prepares residents for emergencies
Natural disasters hit low income households the hardest, especially in the colonias of the Rio Grande Valley. Learning to prepareContinue Reading
Hands-on training for colonia leaders emphasizes role of government in solving problems
Cris Rocha, a community organizer with La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), welcomed the group and Norma Aldape, a LUPE member andContinue Reading
Video: Community discussion on history of inequality and injustice in the Rio Grande Valley
Inequality is stark in the Rio Grande Valley, but for many, its causes remain hidden. In order to overcome the consequencesContinue Reading
A call to confront segregation in colonias: Addressing development and civil rights
[The following remarks were delivered on June 22, 2016 at a conference, Southwest Border Colonias: Housing and Sustainable Development inContinue Reading
State to hold public hearing on colonia environmental injustice thanks to youth leaders
Youth activists in the Rio Grande Valley have already won increased resources and attention to address the odor nuisance causedContinue Reading
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May 20, 2016
Years of organizing lead to vital stormwater drainage project for Rio Grande Valley colonias
Inequality is most starkly manifested in the differences between rich and poor neighborhoods. And nowhere is inequality greater than in theContinue Reading
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May 4, 2016
Colonia youth take charge to protect neighbors from contamination
As discussed in our staff conversation last week, there has been a shameful lack of government oversight around the toxic contamination ofContinue Reading
Listen: Shining a light on environmental injustice in the colonias
TxLIHIS staff members work on a wide range of issues across the state. To highlight some of that work, I’llContinue Reading
Our recommendations to Texas Senate committee considering disaster recovery improvements
On February 3, the Texas Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) held a public hearing in Brownsville on one of theirContinue Reading
Street light installation finally begins as colonia residents celebrate victory
Above: Residents of Colonia Goolie Meadows enjoy the illumination provided by their new street lights. Last week marked another milestone inContinue Reading