“Seeing Mr. Ramirez run
with me made me feel proud
and made me realize that
anything is possible if you
put your effort and don't
give up,” said the 19-year-
old.
As the coordinator for the
Youth Leadership Associa-
tion, Oros felt happy to rep-
resent the Edinburg Housing
Authority during the event.
“Being able to participate in
the 10K along with other
residents was a very reward-
ing experience,” said Oros.
“Not only did we spent
Besides being one of the
poorest regions according to
studies, South Texas is also
affected by high obesity
rates due to unhealthy habits
and lack of physical fitness.
As a result, in an effort to
encourage public housing
residents to live healthy and
active lifestyles, staff from
the Edinburg Housing Au-
thority joined with residents
to participate in the 33rd
Annual All-America City
10K Run/Walk held Satur-
day, Feb.7, 2015 at the Ed-
inburg Parks & Recreation.
Participation in the event was
greatly encouraged by Execu-
tive Director Rodolfo “Rudy”
Ramirez since early January
with his goal to promote fami-
lies of staff and residents to
exercise. About 68 residents
and staff members participated
in the event.
“I am trying to lead by exam-
ple,” said Mr. Ramirez of his
own participation in the 10K.
“I find this method very effec-
tive.”
For Diego Oros, one of the
residents who ran the 10K,
seeing the executive director
take part in the event was en-
couraging.
EL REFLEJOEL REFLEJOEL REFLEJO F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5 V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 2
RODOLFO “RUDY” RODOLFO “RUDY” RODOLFO “RUDY”
RAMIREZRAMIREZRAMIREZ
Executive DirectorExecutive DirectorExecutive Director
A publication of the Edinburg Housing Authority.
BOARD OF MEMBERSBOARD OF MEMBERSBOARD OF MEMBERS
201520152015
“ED” GONZALEZ“ED” GONZALEZ“ED” GONZALEZ
CHAIRMANCHAIRMANCHAIRMAN
ARMANDO BARRERAARMANDO BARRERAARMANDO BARRERA
VICEVICEVICE---CHAIRMANCHAIRMANCHAIRMAN
JOE RODRIGUEZJOE RODRIGUEZJOE RODRIGUEZ
COMMISSIONECOMMISSIONECOMMISSIONERRR
CRIS TORRESCRIS TORRESCRIS TORRES
COMMISSIONERCOMMISSIONERCOMMISSIONER
JUAN GUZMANJUAN GUZMANJUAN GUZMAN
RESIDENT COMMISSIONERRESIDENT COMMISSIONERRESIDENT COMMISSIONER
Main Office
Ciro Trevino
Administration Building
910 S. Sugar Rd.
Edinburg, Texas, 78539
Mon.—Thurs.
8 a.m.—5:30 p.m.
Friday
8 a.m.—12 p.m.
Continued on Page 2
Running the DistanceRunning the DistanceRunning the Distance Staff and residents participate in 33rd Annual AllStaff and residents participate in 33rd Annual AllStaff and residents participate in 33rd Annual All---America 10KAmerica 10KAmerica 10K
P a g e 2
f bvxvbxvxAware that
technology is revolu-
tionizing and becoming
an important part of our
world, a group of Edinburg
Housing Authority students
participated in the Hour of
Code on Monday, Dec. 29,
2014.
The Hour of Code is a glob-
al movement dedicated to
reach millions of studies in
countries worldwide.
During the event, EHA stu-
A mong the many
efforts the Edinburg
Housing Authority is
doing through the new
partnership with the
University of Texas-
Pan American to bring
free opportunities for
its residents is working
with the Department of
Social Work to
develop and administer
a new survey that will
assess the needs of
residents.
Surveys are like
questionnaires that
agencies and
businesses often use to
collect data in order to analyze
features in areas or groups that
need improvement. Due to
constant changes, new
initiatives and programs EHA
has implemented in this past
year as well as others it plans to
bring, the agency would like to
conduct a new needs
assessment survey to analyze
the most recent needs of
housing residents.
“It just makes sense to partner
up with the University because
of all these services that we are
getting free of cost and we are
helping each other,” said Mr.
Ramirez in an interview for
UTPA’s campus newspaper, the
Pan American.
As a result, the Executive
Director Rodolfo “Rudy”
Ramirez and the executive
team members have been
working closely with John
Garcia, a UTPA graduate
student and macro social
worker developing the
needs assessment survey.
“Needs assessments are
done so we can determine
what type of help all the
people require, take that to
the University so that
departments can tailor
programs to help teach
them (residents) what they
need to get jobs and be
successful,” the graduate
student said
E L R E F L E J O
Continued from the first page...
quality time but got to show
the community that EHA is
engaged and moving for-
ward.”
Besides running in the 10K
or the Fun Run, a smaller
race, residents and staff had
the option to volun-
teer with the Youth
Leadership Associa-
tion to give water to
runners at different
water stations
throughout the race.
“Like Mr. Ramirez,
Olga Regalado the
Section 8 Supervisor
also enjoyed the run.
I wanted to show support to
our running team,” she said.
“It felt good to see many
community leaders wear
(our) shirt.”
According to Mr.
Ramirez, he hopes to con-
tinue encouraging physi-
cal fitness and health
amongst those his serves
and to participate in fu-
ture 10K’s.
“For sure I will do
next year,” Mr.
Ramirez expressed.
“My goal is to in-
crease our staff and
residents’ participat-
ing and maybe even-
tually promote our
own EHA Running
Team.”
Mr. Ramirez Executive Director
Diego Oros Resident
Members of the Youth Leadership Association volunteered at water station to give water to runners.
“I’ve asked these
kids what they
want to do when
they grow up and
99 percent said
they want to get
an education and
help (their) mom
and dad get out
of housing.”
Rudy Ramirez Executive Director
Assessing Your Needs
P a g e 3 V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 2
A ware that a great number of
our residents could qualify
for President Obama’s executive
actions on immigration, this
month EHA commenced new
efforts with the UTPA Minority
Affairs Council and the DREAM
Home community organization to
help provide them with the most
accurate information.
The Minority Affairs Council
(MAC) is a University of Texas-
Pan American student
organization that focuses on
empowering and encouraging
education amongst minorities and
undocumented students. MAC is
led by students like Sarah
Chavez, Abraham Diaz and
Patricia Estrada whose efforts led
to the creation of the DREAM
Home initiative, a non-profit
group that will offer free housing
for undocumented students
attending UTPA.
First announced November 20,
2014, President Obama’s new
actions included changes to the
current DACA program and
allowed parents of U.S. citizens
and lawful permanent residents
who have been in the country since
January 1, 2010 and pass criminal
background checks the opportunity
to obtain deferred action and a
three year employment
authorization.
Early in February, the Executive
Director Rodolfo “Rudy” Ramirez
met with Chavez and Diaz to plan
the Immigration Outreach which
will help residents find out
whether or not they qualify for the
new relief and inform them of the
application process.
In the coming weeks, the
Immigration Outreach will be
having free DACA Days in the
community centers of each of the
developments where immigration
information and updates will be
shared as well as help answer
questions residents may have.
The first Immigration Outreach
meeting will be during the next
coming weeks in the
Administration Building. A
complete list of the dates, times
and locations of future meetings
will be provided for those who
attend. For more information
residents may contact Claudia
Lemus at 956-383-3839.
EHA’s Immigration Outreach
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals | Deferred Action for Parental Accountability
The survey will ask residents
about their expenses, health
problems, activities, and their
access to the Internet and a
computer and will also determine
what their future ambitions are.
Ramirez and Garcia believe these
questions can potentially close the
digital divide, which is the social
inequality of persons and their
limited knowledge of technology,
and ultimately help the agency
bring opportunities to give them
access to the web.
Because according to Mr.
Ramirez, education is crucial is
helping families cycle out of
housing and become self-
sufficient, he hopes his efforts will
lead to students obtaining an
education and ultimately help their
families.
“If you stop and think about, they
(housing students) don’t have
educational goals because they
don’t want to burden (their) mom
and dad,” said the executive
director. “I know that education is
going to open doors.
When he’s asked students what
they want to do when they
grow up, Mr. Ramirez said
education was their top
answer.
“I’ve asked these kids what they want to do when they grow up and 99 percent said they want to get an education and help (their) mom and dad get out of housing,” he shared. As soon as the survey is finalized, EHA plans to have all residents complete it with the help of the Social Work Department in the coming months. With their needs in mind, the agency would like to ask residents to please answer the survey to the best of their ability and honestly as possible when the time comes.
“If you stop and think about it they (housing students) don’t
have educational goals because they don’t want to
burden (their) mom and dad.”
Rudy Ramirez Executive Director.
C o n t i n u e d o n P a g e 4
YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM: APPLICATION CLOSES APRIL 14, 2015
The Young Scholars Program is a selective pre-college scholarship for high-performing middle school students
with financial need. The program includes academic advising, financial support and a pathway to the founda-
tion’s $40,000 per year College Scholarship.
The application is open to ALL students regardless of immigration status if they meet the criteria:
P a g e 4 V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 2
But what about the temporary
injunction?
But what about the temporary
injunction?
Although a temporary injunction
on the president’s actions was
issued Feb. 17 by federal Judge
Andrew S. Hanen and the
immigration actions have been put
on hold until the lawsuit is
resolved, activist organizations like
National Council of La Raza
announced that they will continue
helping immigrants prepare their
applications for when the programs
are up and running again.
According to Cornell University
Law School, a temporary
injunction is a court order issued
early in a lawsuit that requires a
defendant to do or stop doing a
specific action to prevent possible
injustice. In this case, the
temporary injunction passed by
Judge Hanen caused President
Obama’s administration to
postpone the executive actions
until the case is settled.
White House officials announced
that they will be appealing the
judge’s ruling and even though
they will not be taking any
applications for undocumented
workers, they will continue
preparing to put the executive
actions into effect.
As a result, with the same hope
and intentions, our agency as well
as MAC and DREAM Home still
plans to offer residents
information about DACA and
DAPA in case they begin
accepting applications again the
coming months.
It is important that individuals
know that the temporary
injunction does NOT affect
those who obtained and qualify
for the president’s 2012 DACA.
If you have questions or any
concerns we ask that you please
attend the Immigration Outreach
meetings and become informed.
Remember EHA is here to help.
If you have questions or any
concerns we ask that you please
attend the Immigration Outreach
meetings and become informed.
Remember EHA is here to help
but we can only provide you
with information and not legal
counseling.
Want a $40,000 scholarship for your son/daughter?
Although EHA would love to make programs available in all of the developments, due to limited
space and resources, opportunities like the folkloric classes in the dance studio can only be held in
certain developments. We kindly ask that residents are patient towards one another and understand
that our agency is doing everything it can to provide these programs even if they are made availa-
LIMITED SPACE
Selection Criteria
High Academic ability
Demonstrate financial need
Leadership
To apply
3 letters of recommendation
Financial information of last
3 years
There is no application fee and no social security number required
Eligibility
Be a current 7th grader
Mostly A’s and B’s in core subjects
Have a family income under $95,000
Plan to attend high school in the U.S.
If you would like your child to apply for the program and need help or information you may contact Claudia Lemus at
956-383-3839 or visit the website www.jkcf.org/scholarship-programs/young-scholars.
P a g e 5
Southwest NAHRO Scholarship www.swnahro.org 800-617-2900
Texas NAHRO Scholarship www.txnahro.org 800-617-2900
txnahrobrazosnet.com
HAVE Scholarship Visit EHA for application.
The Edinburg Housing Authority is pleased to announce the following scholarships
for Public Housing and Section 8 High School seniors graduating June 2015.
TUTORING
COMPUTER
ESL
ART
STEM
MUSIC
CLASSES
Kara Shearer Scholarship Application available Feb. 2015 at EHA
Estella Lane Trevino Endowed
Scholarship 956-665-5301
PHADA Scholarship www.phada.org
If interested in applying for any of these scholarships, please call your manager at 956-383-3839. Also contact the financial aid counselors at your school.
IRS tax filing deadline is April 15, 2015. All wage earners—regardless of their immigration status—are required to pay feder-
al taxes.
Immigrants Can File Taxes With ITIN The IRS provides ITINs to people like undocumented immigrants who are ineligible
for an SSN so they can comply with tax laws. An Individual Taxpayer Identification
Number (ITIN) is a 9-digit tax processing number issued by the U.S. Internal Reve-
nue Service (IRS).
ITINs are issued by the IRS specifically as a means to pay federal taxes and can
sometimes be accepted for other purposes, such as for opening an interest-bearing
bank account, in employment dispute settlements, or for obtaining a mortgage.
For more information on how to obtain an ITIN call or visit:
IRIS Tax Office
1810 Hale Ave.
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 365-5185
BE AN IMMIGRANT TAXPAYERBE AN IMMIGRANT TAXPAYERBE AN IMMIGRANT TAXPAYER
RENT DEADLINERENT DEADLINERENT DEADLINE Due monthly by the 1st, but EHA
gives you until the 5th to pay in full.
There is a $15 late fee for late
payments.
COMMUNITY SERVICECOMMUNITY SERVICECOMMUNITY SERVICE Residents 18+ years old who are not
employed 30 hours or more a week, must
comply with the 8 hour HUD’s
community service requirement.
REMINDERS
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
With more than 65 years of service, the Edinburg Housing Authority
takes pride in providing assistance to those who need it most in the Rio
Grande Valley.
As a result, throughout the years we have focused our agency’s efforts
and resources to ensure struggling low-income families with an equal oppor-
tunity to obtain safe, decent and affordable public housing, and thus improve
their quality of life.
But even though we help hundreds of families in need, we realize that to
truly help impoverished residents rise out of poverty and better themselves
our agency has to do much more than providing them with a place to live.
As a result, in addition to providing housing for our residents we have
now made it our mission to promote self-sufficiency throughout the agency
and do everything in our power to help those we serve develop the necessary
work skills and education to succeed and ultimately provide for their loved
ones on their own.
With dedication, integrity and compassion we take pride in helping our
residents each and every day. We believe and ardently hope that through eve-
ry family we help we make a difference in the present and someday future of
the city of Edinburg and the Rio Grande Valley.
Interested in finding out what’s happening at EHA or your development?
Come find out at our next Resident Council Meeting. Meetings are led
by the Executive Director Rodolfo “Rudy” Ramirez and residents. Our
next meeting will be:
March 12, 2015 @10 a.m. in Lantana (Snacks will be provided)
Contact your property managers for the complete schedule of days and locations
RESIDENT COUNCIL MEETINGSRESIDENT COUNCIL MEETINGSRESIDENT COUNCIL MEETINGS
SERVING FAMILIES SINCE 1949
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